Here we go with another week. Spring is sprung, your eyes are itchy and you want to be anywhere but at work. It may look like you're stuck, that things are not getting better anytime soon, but with the economy in such a sad state, at least be thankful that you have a job and always remember: It could be worse. For as bad as things get, as much as you find yourself in that hole of debt, at least you can sleep easy knowing that you're not an:
Immokalee Worker
Immokalee is a small town in Florida that's best known for its tomatoes. It is a favorite of companies such as Whole Foods, Burger King, McDonalds and Yum! Brands, which owns KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John Silvers and Taco Bell, who are able to purchase the tomatoes at a small price so you can eat a gordita for 99 cents. But, as usual, there's a cost to these cheap little tomatoes. In 1993 the Coalition of Immokalee Workers was created, made up of Haitian, Mayan Indian and latino immigrants who had been subject to harsh conditions more familiar to the third world than the richest country in the world. While working in the tomato fields, the workers were forced to live in shacks, which they were expected to pay for out of their checks. The living expenses put the farmers into so much debt that they're forced to continue working to pay it off, adding up to a sly type of slavery just given another name. A Florida federal prosecutor even dubbed the town "ground zero for modern-day slavery." Rather than being paid hourly or salary, the workers are paid for what they pick, averaging out to about 50 cents for 32 pounds of tomatoes. And you complain when you have to pick up a ten pound box! Just last year, it was agreed that the Immokalee workers would get 1 cent more per pound by its corporate buyers. Shockingly, this 1 cent raise was fought against for over 10 years until Burger King was the first to give in, followed by Yum! brands. But still, the workers receive about $12,000 per year, with most of that going toward their housing. I guess that's one of those 'jobs that no one else wants to do' that we love to talk about.
So next time you're in a hurry and stop by the drive-in at Taco Bell, remember, there's a reason why you were able to eat a 3-pound steak burrito for 2 bucks. Be sure to enjoy that taste of refried beans and Mayan tears and remember, it could be worse.
So next time you're in a hurry and stop by the drive-in at Taco Bell, remember, there's a reason why you were able to eat a 3-pound steak burrito for 2 bucks. Be sure to enjoy that taste of refried beans and Mayan tears and remember, it could be worse.
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