Tuesday, March 1st, 2011

Farmworkers rallied outside of the Upper West Side Trader Joe’s store (Broadway between 71st and 72nd) on Monday to demand better pay and fair treatment for tomato pickers, according to DNAinfo.  The Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a workers’ rights group from Florida, organized the protest, gathering dozens of workers who shouted “si se puede” (“yes, it can be done”), waved signs, and passed out fliers.  The protesters are demanding that Trader Joe’s joins Whole Foods and McDonald’s in signing a “fair food agreement” that would raise pay for tomato pickers from 50 cents to 85 cents per 32-pound bucket and guarantee the grocer only does business with suppliers who treat their workers fairly.  Trader Joe’s had refused to sign the agreement because they claimed to already buy tomatoes from suppliers that meet high standards for worker treatment, according to a Coalition of Immokalee Workers spokesman.  Read the full story and check out a slideshow of the rally at DNAinfo.

Filed under: Food & Drink, News, Upper West Side, Upper West Side Blog No Comments »
Tags: Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Farmers, Farmworkers, Grocer, Grocers, Grocery Stores, Picket, Picket Line, Rally, Stores, Tomato Pickers, Tomatoes, Workers