A Conversation about Florida Tomatoes [scroll down]
Wendy’s is being targeted by an activist group called the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and its allies...[They demand] we make payments to employees of the companies who supply our tomatoes...-- even though they are not Wendy’s employees. CIW is demanding an added fee on top of the price we pay our suppliers...we already pay a premium to our Florida tomato suppliers. We believe it’s inappropriate to demand that one company pay another company’s employees...Our responsibility to Wendy’s customers is to negotiate directly with our suppliers – not third-party organizations...All of the Florida tomatoes purchased by Wendy’s...come from suppliers who participate in the Fair Food Program, which means they have: 1. Adopted the Fair Food Code of Conduct; 2. Agreed to implement a system of health and safety volunteers...3. Agreed to...[a] complaint investigation and remediation mechanism; 4. Agreed to have compliance with...independent[] monitor[ing] 5. Agreed to a worker education program...