'The Harvest of Shame'

Last January, I visited Immokalee, Florida, to get a first-hand view of what was going on in the farm fields of Florida. On one of the days when I was there, a federal grand jury handed up an indictment alleging that workers were held in conditions that amounted to slavery. On Tuesday, a Senate panel convened a hearing into what long ago was called the "harvest of shame."

Let me very briefly tell you what I observed and what I learned from talking with a number of workers who pick tomatoes. At 5:30 am I was in a parking lot in central Immokalee and saw hundreds of workers mulling around for buses to take them to tomato fields. While most of the workers were selected to board buses and go to work, not all were. Those who were not picked earned no income at all during that day. Also, if it rains, as it did when I was there, workers are sent away from the fields and do not earn income for those hours.

In talking with workers who go out into the fields I learned that they make approximately 45 cents for every 32-pound bucket of tomatoes they pick. This wage has not increased since 1998; and in fact, farm worker wages have dropped 65 percent in the last 30 years, after adjusting for inflation. I also learned that while it is possible under optimum conditions to make as much as $10-$12 an hour, the average hourly wage is far lower than that. In fact, most workers in the tomato fields earn about $250 a week in income. Why are wages so low?

I also learned that there is no overtime when workers work more than 8 hours a day or 40 hours a week. There are no benefits. Health care is a serious problem especially for people who do hard, physical work as they do in the tomato fields, yet employers offer no health insurance. The housing that I saw was deplorable and extremely expensive. It was not uncommon for eight or 10 workers to be paying $500 a month to live in a trailer which, in the city where I was mayor, would never have passed a safety inspection.

"Is it really going to take an act of Congress to get Florida's tomato pickers a raise?" an editorial in the St. Petersburg Times asked. "The men and women who work the fields in Immokalee earn 45 cents on average for every 32-pound bucket of tomatoes harvested. It is a meager wage that has not been raised in more than 20 years. Yet when a couple of fast food giants generously agreed to pay workers an added penny per pound, the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange sabotaged the deal and has refused to negotiate even after congressional leaders offered to be intermediaries."

The editorial goes on to say that: "The truth is that Florida's migrant farm laborers are among the worst paid workers in the state. They haven't had a piece rate increase in a generation, and the Growers Exchange wants to keep it that way. Even when someone else is willing to foot the bill."

Thankfully, due to the dedication and hard work of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the conditions that exist in the Florida tomato fields has begun to come to light. As a direct result of the coalition's efforts, two large fast food companies -- McDonald's and Yum! Brands, whose subsidiaries include Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Long John Silvers and A&W -- have agreed to supplement the pay of these workers at a rate of an additional penny per pound for the tomatoes they buy. McDonald's and Yum! are to be commended for their commitment to help alleviate the despicable situation in the Florida tomato fields. Sadly, some other fast food companies, like Burger King, are resisting making a similar move which for a minimal cost would almost double the income of the Florida tomato workers.

In addition, the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange has threatened fines of up to $100,000 to any grower that cooperates in implementing the penny per pound agreements, something that I simply cannot comprehend. I have met with Reggie Brown with the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange personally about this subject, and I am pleased that he could join us today to explain this situation in greater detail.

Unfortunately, this is not a new problem. In 1960, Edward R. Murrow described the horrendous situation facing farm laborers in his famous TV documentary as a "Harvest of Shame." Tragically, almost 50 years later, not much has changed. Farm laborers, mostly migrant workers, continue to be ruthlessly exploited with low pay and poor working conditions.

In an era of globalization, the American people are becoming more and more concerned not only about the quality of goods they consume, but about the conditions facing those who produce those goods. In my view, the American consumer does not want the tomatoes they eat to be picked by workers who are grossly mistreated, underpaid, and in some case even kept in chains. This must not happen in the United States of America in 2008.

What is going on in Immokalee and other regions of Florida is deplorable and at its core repugnant to the values that our country is built upon. I hope Senate hearings will begin to shine a spotlight on the harvest of shame that is going on to this day in the tomato fields in Florida and will lay the groundwork for the legislative changes that will be needed if the large buyers of tomatoes in the fast food and supermarket industry and the large growers continue to resist the reforms that are desperately needed.

The time is now that large corporations like Burger King and recalcitrant growers that continue to profit from the slavery and near-slavery like conditions in the tomato fields of Florida begin to pay a price in the marketplace, in the court of public opinion, and, if necessary, in the United States Congress. I truly believe that, once they learn the truth, "American consumers will not patronize companies that continue to profit from the current situation.

In the United States of America, millions of workers are being forced into a race to the bottom. As poverty increases and the middle class shrinks, they are seeing their standard of living decline. They are working longer hours for lower wages, and are losing their health insurance, pensions and other benefits. What we have in the tomato fields of Florida are workers who are living on the lowest rung of the ladder in that race to the bottom. We must address their plight not only from a moral perspective, but with the understanding that if we look the other way, and accept the terrible exploitation they are suffering, every American worker is in danger as that race to the bottom accelerates.

Senator Bernie Sanders, independent of Vermont, is a member of the U.S. Senate's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee which held a hearing on this issue on Tuesday, April 15. To read more about the Immokalee farm workers, click here.

Comments

[elbzee]

This is simply disgusting. The UNMITIGATED GALL of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange is unimaginable. Needless to say, I wanted to learn more, so I went to their site: http://www.floridatomatogrowers.org/default.aspx. Shockingly, their side sounds nothing like Mr. Sanders' statements. Well paid, well cared for, well housed. Now, hmmm, who should I believe? The growers or the honorable Representative Sanders? Gee.

Thankfully, they specifically ask that we tell them what we think. I plan to ask a few very specific questions.

[elbzee]

Interesting. Another visit to their site, altho there's a long list of publications in their "News" page, there's no mention of the article or issue from the St. Petersburg Times. Of course, when I went the the Times' page, there it was!

[1pappy]

"...picked by workers who are grossly mistreated, underpaid, and in some case even kept in chains."
Ok, I got the mistreated and underpaid part, but no where else in your article does it mention workers kept in chains. Is this literary allegory or illusion? If it is indeed a fact Senator have you informed the FBI of this gross enslavement? And BTW, how long have you been in the Senate and failed to recognize this problem? Just asking.
The availability of illegal or legal workers who are willing to do this kind of work shields the producers from investing in mechanization. I say raise the price of tomatoes to support minimum wage for the workers and benefits. This will bring about a rush to mechanization that will relieve us once and for all of the guilt associated with cheap produce subsidized by cheap labor.

[maddogbitesback]

1pappy.

What a wonderful idea. More pollution and more soil degradation.

[veracity]

Thanks for your comment contributing to those working to harvest our food, Senator Sanders. No group in America is as exploited and abused as the migrant workers who handle and gather our food for us. Those farm rows stretch out for miles; workers are exposed to pesticides, spiders, ants , and other toxic irritants, farm working is often hazardous, the loads of buckets and boxes take a toll on their bodies, and the pay is dirt cheap.
Here is the contact address from Burger King's own website
Burger King Corporation
5505 Blue Lagoon Drive
Miami, Florida 33126

[Dunnage]

You know, if we saw to it that field workers for corporate farms were paid well and given good living conditions -- bathrooms and bedrooms, that their children got to school, and all had health care ------all of a sudden there would be no immigration problem. Why can't picking fruit and vegetables be damn good jobs? Hard work, good pay, decent conditions -- god didn't we go through this a century ago'

No, and we say about the people we have be with our kids all day: they get paid a lot and only work part-time. Damn teacher's union, won't let our kids be taught, can't get rid of them (not sure if this is the kids or teachers or probably both).

[schatsie]

It's the good old factory system, where you worked like a slave and bought at the company store at outrageous prices.... Nothing new.

Try to buy local (eliminate the middle man), try to buy organic (eliminate chemical toxins), try to go vegetarian (even fewer chemical toxins).

[Donkslayer]

Well that's a recipe for paying the highest food cost possible.

[vipersdad]

Not necessarily - the model we are using (large farms - big distribution centers - large chains of supermarkets) depends on one thing: inexpensive fuel to transport the goods to market. As Diesel is already over $4.00 a gallon in many places, we're seeing the cost of food rise along with it. Many smaller chains of grocery stores suddenly find themselves able to compete on price for produce and fresh foods because they do buy local and because their costs of transportation are lower. The market prices have risen in many cases to the point where locally grown makes economic sense. Go price it - you will see.

[karrezza]

Well BK just lost my business.. I will grow my own tomatoes

[mouselion]

And, while addressing the plight of the workers -- may be some investigation into where the siphoning occur on these record food prices? Middlemen brokers? Trade board coffers? Oil company profits? Fast Food profits? Answer that question, deal with it from that angle, and you will go a long way to inherently correct the problem.

[Caolas]

The answer to the question is usually Management. When Labor is lucky to get a raise of .25 or a dollar an hour to keep up with cost of living, you can go up to the top of the Management chain and find the CEO's getting millions of dollars in stock options and tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars in salary raises.

[edva]

Of course we should be concerned about the plight food industry workers. But we should be mortally ashamed of the fact that we horrendously mistreat and cruelly slaughter over ten billion individual Animal beings every year in this country alone, for pleasure and profit.
The workers have choices, and at least some legal protection. "Food animals" have NONE. Our insane, greed-and gluttony-driven inhumane abuse of these creatures is the greatest moral failing of all time. We as a society must awaken to the wickedness of our ways and change, or wallow in the detritus of our own evil.
Not to mention the environmental destruction caused by "raising" animals for food, instead of simply eating plant products ourselves, which is healthier for us and the planet.

[imnotstopping]

And tomatoes in Miami are $3.49 a POUND retail.
Something does not make sense here.

[mouselion]

Therein lies the question: Who is the market culprit, and How can they be reigned in?

[5thGenDem]

A tomato boycott? Why not? I'm not a fan of those tasteless Florida tomatoes anyway!

[CountryBeforeParty]

Jersey tomatoes are better anyway ;)

[maddogbitesback]

5thGenDem;

I'm for that. Or it is possible to put those tasteless, hard things to good work and lob them at the president.

[rrafiringa]

And they decrieth reverend Wright.

[footsore]

Hey Bernie,
Thanks for putting this back out in front of us. A couple of months ago I read that Burger King was actively lobbying Big Mac and the others to rescind their wage increase to workers. Since that time I have stopped buying at BK and will so continue.
It would be nice if the traditional media were to pick-up on this story. Then maybe we could shame these cheap bastards into a two penny per pound increase. But one penny? Just how does that hurt the shareholders? Where are the christians on this? After all there is that camel, eye of a needle thing, taking care of the least among us.
Cheap greedy bastards! Boycott Burger King!
footsore

[TuffPosh]

You might be right about some of this, unfortunately, the leaders of the Democratic and Republican parties seem to spend every waking moment trying to advocate for more and more low-wage labor for tomato and other types of growers. That leads in part to the conditions described. With fewer workers available, growers would have to raise wages (or use mechanical harvesting). Instead, growers know that they'll always have access to a low-wage labor pool, legal or illegal, thanks to the actions of both Democrats and Republicans. And, in fact, here's Obama suggesting we not enforce our immigration laws:

http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007603.html

Maybe if more Democratic politicians supported actually enforcing our laws what you write above wouldn't seem so hollow.

[Overd0g]

Odd. Last time I felt I was being underpaid, I got a different job. I suggest these workers do the same.

[Chavez08]

Is Hannity hiring more trollers?

[mouselion]

That's the reason it never changes for ever comes around needing that job, decade after decade. Your attitude is what sustains the downward pressure that these middle-men-fat-cats have on these workers.

[indypete]

Yep, pick themselves up by their own bootstraps. (Bootstraps available at $29.95 a pair, made by 12-year-old girls in China making a quarter an hour and all the shit they can eat.))

[PeaceThroughObedience]

You sound like a trust fund baby to me. I bet your hands are smooth and clean, and you've never broken a sweat on the job for decades. Good for you. You have earned the right to look down on others. Bravo, Mr. Republican

[vipersdad]

Here is what you should do:
1. Research the reasons for the large number of immigrant workers we have here in the United States. See where it started and why it's in the interests of many industries that it persists (despite being a great political football used to scare voters to the polls

2. Go talk to people who do this kind of work. Find out what options they have to get "a different job."

3. Then make the comment you made. It's nice to be a citizen in a country with a low unemployment rate isn't it? It's nice to have options. But start with empathy - don't just recite someone else's bumper sticker.

The agricultural, hospitality, garment, restaurant, and service industries are by and large complicit in the illegal immigrant problem we have here in this country. To a lot of those folks, America is like playing the Lottery. For every 1 person who comes here and is successful, there are thousands of heartbreaking stories. We all take it on faith that if anything were to change that "food prices would rise," but I've yet to see a real financial analysis proving that. Meanwhile, I see produce from South America, Australia and now parts of Africa and India on my grocery shelves - with the costs of transportation what they are, how is it that those products are REALLY more cost-effective than locally or domestically grown products?

[Chavez08]

Sanders is one of the *few* people fighting for labor and human rights in Washington. We desperately need a thousand more Bernies.