CIW, Compass Group announce advances for farmworkers
PC(USA) joins U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis in lauding the accord
Secretary Solis congratulates Oscar Otzoy of CIW. Photo courtesy of CIW.
September 2009 – On Friday, September 25, 2009, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Compass Group announced an historic agreement at a press conference in Washington, D.C. Characterized as “huge” in its impact and implications by U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis, Compass, the leading food service corporation in the United States, announced it will pay farmworkers an additional penny per pound for tomatoes harvested with the ultimate goal of a guaranteed fair minimum wage. Compass has also worked with the CIW to develop a robust code of conduct for its suppliers that will improve working conditions and guarantee transparency through third party monitoring. With East Coast Growers and Packers prepared to implement this agreement and prior agreements with food corporations this season, Lucas Benitez of CIW called on food industry leaders Publix, Kroger, Aramark and Sodexo to get behind the movement for Fair Food.
Secretary of Labor Solis gave a stirring speech emphasizing that the accord was good for workers and good for business. She also read a statement from Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack, who was unable to be present, lauding the accord saying, “This agreement not only represents an important step forward for tomato workers in Florida, it is an expression of the essential value of farm workers to our agricultural sector as a whole.” The Rev. Noelle Damico of the PC(USA) Campaign for Fair Food joined representatives from CIW, Compass, East Coast and the Secretary of Labor in addressing the significance of the agreement at the press conference.
The Rev. Gradye Parsons, stated clerk of the General Assembly, extended his congratulations, “On behalf of the General Assembly I commend the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and Compass Group on forging a sustainable agreement that will advance both the human rights of farmworkers and practices of corporate social responsibility. As Christians we are called to love our neighbors, and this agreement, which ensures human well-being, provides a meaningful way for people of faith to uphold that covenant of love.”
Get photos of the event, full news coverage and further details on the accord.
