Churches call on McDonald's to pay more to tomato pickers

[Thom Little]

The National Council of Churches joined farmworker advocates Thursday to urge McDonald's Corp. to pay more for its tomatoes to help boost wages of tomato pickers.

The request comes after the Florida-based Coalition of Immokalee Workers unveiled its campaign last month to pressure the fast-food giant to pay more for the fruit.

"Every so often there comes a moment that holds out the promise of making the world a significantly better place, if only we take action. Today the McDonald's corporation is presented with one of those moments," Council General Secretary, the Rev. Robert Edgar, said in a statement.

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The council, which represents about 35 Christian denominations, supported the Coalition of Immokalee Worker's four-year boycott to pressure Yum! Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell to pay more for its tomatoes. Louisville-based Yum! agreed in March to raise its price, an increase that was to be directly passed on to farmworkers.


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