05654
Dec. 7, 2005

NCC challenges McDonald's
to do more for tomato pickers

Edgar says farmworkers are ill-served
by fast-food giant’s ‘anemic’ code of conduct

by Cheryl Heckler
Ecumenical News International 

OXFORD, OH — The National Council of Churches (NCC) has joined human-rights organizations and farmworkers in criticizing McDonald’s Corp. for doing too little to improve working conditions of its tomato pickers.

        “McDonald’s, we at the National Council of Churches expect you to do better,” said the Rev. Robert Edgar, the council’s general secretary. “You have acquired a strong reputation for social accountability. Now we expect you to build on that reputation to accomplish real change in partnership with the farmworkers who are so sorely abused by the current system.” 

        McDonald’s officials announced recently that the fast-food giant had endorsed a new code of conduct proposed by the Socially Accountable Farm Employers (SAFE) initiative for farmworkers employed by its suppliers.  

        “McDonald’s suppliers will buy produce from growers that participate in this program,” company spokesperson Lisa Howard said.  

        But in his Dec. 1 statement, Edgar denounced what he called “SAFE’s anemic code of conduct, which was designed by growers without worker input, and does not address stagnant, poverty wages.” 

        Edgar said the SAFE initiative was a product of the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association, and, while its code “employs sweeping language about ‘no forced labor’ and ‘social accountability,’ it only asks growers to obey current laws.”  

        The Rev. Noelle Damico, who coordinated the successful Taco Bell boycott for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), said McDonald’s position falls far short of the agreement farmworkers reached earlier this year with Taco Bell, a division of Yum! Brands, which nearly doubled the pay of tomato pickers while ensuring safer working conditions. 

        “The biggest concern in the religious community for McDonald’s is they have chosen to work with only the growers, and no farmworkers’ voices are included,” Damico told Ecumenical News International.