Labor groups converged outside a Madison McDonald's and McDonald's-owned Chipotle Wednesday to protest working conditions and low wages for workers who supply tomatoes to the fast-food giant.
The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a Florida coalition of mainly Mexican, Guatemalan and Haitian farm workers, organized with the UW-Madison Student Labor Action Committee and other groups to pressure corporate social responsibility in the fast-food industry.
I was an organic farmer for 10 years. I want people to know more about where [McDonald's] food comes from and what's involved in getting cheap food distributed around the country,\ said Mike Moon, a protest participant who calls himself an ally of CIW.
Over 30 people showed up at McDonald's, 441 N. Lake St., around lunchtime as part of a national tour this week to promote awareness of the plight of day laborers.
In 2005, CIW successfully lobbied Taco Bell to guarantee the buying of tomatoes from suppliers that use employees rather than less-protected day laborers. And now they are targeting McDonald's using the same tactics.
Moon said McDonald's does not pay farm workers directly and that paying its producers fair prices does not apply to the workers.
""The farm workers are appealing to McDonald's because they have so much presence and so much leverage in the market. By connecting with the consumers, they are able to build a much broader coalition,"" Moon said.
McDonald's said it holds its producers accountable for their labor practices.
The corporation said in a statement that its suppliers guarantee their Florida-sourced tomatoes will be purchased from ""growers whose wages and benefits for their workers meet or exceed those proposed by CIW.""
CIW workers said they seek employee status that will provide them with benefits to replace their current day-laborer status, which does not provide any.
CIW protesters will culminate their tour in Chicago with a five-mile march to McDonald's corporate headquarters on Saturday.
""This is a great example of the working class organizing to better their working conditions. We're here to support any group who endorses fair labor practices,"" said James Ploesner, a member of the Service Employees International Union.
While the protests occurred, only a handful of people entered the McDonald's. Dan Gartenberg, a UW sophomore, said he was not affected by the picketing. ""It's nice to see protesters expressing themselves, but personally I think there are bigger fish to fry.""
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