Florida Catholic | Peace and Justice

Textbooks recall students’ efforts to gain "a penny more a pound" for farmworkers

Peace and justice committee keeps St. Margaret Mary parishioners aware of issues.

LAURA DODSON | FLORIDA CATHOLIC CORRESPONDENT

Published: 09.14.07

PROTESTS CONTINUE

A supporter of farmworker rights protests in front of a Burger King Restaurant in Hollywood, Florida.

DANIEL SOÑÉ | FC

Hollywood | Guadalupe Gomez shares her views on farmworker rights with passers-by on Stirling Road in Hollywood on August 25. Gomez, a Notre Dame alumni and an intern with the Student-Farmworker Alliance, was among 125 people, members of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and 12 other social justice groups, who protested in front of a Burger King in an effort to persuade the fast-food giant to pay a penny more per pound of Florida tomatoes. The coalition is also seeking the chain to adopt a code of conduct to protect workers in the fields and has reached similar agreements with Yum! Brands, Inc., owner of Taco Bell, and McDonalds Corp. The farmworkers’ group has the backing of the Catholic bishops of Florida.

ORLANDO | The price of tomatoes is very much a spiritual concern at St. Margaret Mary Parish in Winter Park, thanks to the efforts of the peace and justice committee.

Parishioners are well aware that raising the price of tomatoes by "a penny more a pound" is a justice issue that can transform the lives of farmworkers by making their wages more fair. Their efforts and their sacrifices are producing fruit in abundance.

Mary Ann Gilbert, the parish social justice coordinator for the past 15 years explained, "A really important piece of this was a Campbell Soup boycott several years ago — our school stopped saving Campbell Soup labels to redeem for technology equipment. We realized that type of boycott works. So when the national Taco Bell boycott was called, we knew our school had Taco Bell bringing lunch. We did not want Taco Bell here and the Office of Schools called for all of us to not support Taco Bell."

In March 2005, Taco Bell, a member of conglomerate Yum! Brands, which includes A&W, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and Long John Silver restaurants, signed an agreement with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers increasing the price of tomatoes by a penny a pound, significantly improving the wage base of farmworkers and implementing human rights measures respecting the dignity of the workers.

Dominican Sister Rosemary Finnegan, director of adult faith formation for St. Margaret Mary Parish and seventh-grade religious education teacher for the school, purchased Taco Bell tacos for the entire class in recognition of its sacrifice and in celebration of the agreement. She then submitted the story to Harcourt Inc., citing a student who commented “that taco tasted even better because she knew it benefited others.”

Now in seventh-grade religious education classes across the nation, students are reading in the new Harcourt Religion Publishers’ "Call to Faith" textbook about how St. Margaret Mary Parish and School joined the three-year national boycott of Taco Bell — the largest purchaser of tomatoes grown in Immokalee.

In recognition of Sister Finnegan’s efforts, Harcourt Religion president Diane Lampitt visited St. Margaret Mary Parish last fall with a special award for her — a framed copy of her story pages from the textbook.

Once Taco Bell agreed, attention turned to McDonald’s Corp., the largest fast-food restaurant in the world. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops was instrumental in calling attention to the plight of the farmworkers and McDonald’s reluctance to assist in their relief. Following a boycott and significant public pressure, McDonald’s Corp. acquiesced April 9, 2007.

The current push is for Burger King Corp. to join the pack and sign the agreement. St. Margaret Mary is working closely with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers. Although a boycott has not been called as yet, the peace and justice committee has been diligent in its Sunday bulletin educational campaign.

Representatives of the Immokalee farmworkers plan to stop at the parish in October, on what they call a "Truth Tour." Additionally, parishioners will have the opportunity after all the Masses one weekend in October to sign postcards to be mailed to Burger King Corp. offices in Miami, urging the company to come in line with the other fast-food giants.

Sister Finnegan said she is “looking forward to this new opportunity to educate our students on Catholic social teaching and the dignity of the worker. It’s certainly an issue that is still relevant.”

To learn how to help, visit the Coalition of Immokalee Workers Web site, www.ciw-online.org.

Return to Diocese of Orlando Front Page

Textbooks recall students’ efforts to gain "a penny more a pound" for farmworkers

Peace and justice committee keeps St. Margaret Mary parishioners aware of issues.

PROTESTS CONTINUE

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