A victory for farmworkers

Farmworkers scored a huge victory Tuesday when the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange finally agreed to work with the Coalition of Immokalee Workers to improve wages and working conditions for the state's estimated 30,000 winter tomato pickers. This is a story of perseverance and pluck by the coalition, which spent more than 10 years using every grass roots organizing tool available to slowly wear down the growers' resistance. Now, some of the state's most vulnerable and underpaid workers will have a boost in pay and a voice in the fields.

It wasn't long ago that Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the growers exchange, threatened growers in the cooperative with fines if they worked with the coalition, a group that represents about 4,000 farmworkers. But through the coalition's relentless efforts, there's been a change of heart. Brown appeared in a joint news conference with coalition leaders Tuesday promising that his growers, who represent 90 percent of Florida's tomato industry, will pass along the extra penny-per-pound wage enhancement that is being paid by fast food giants and retailers who buy the tomato crop. The agreement also includes protections for workers who complain about working conditions, and adds health and safety improvements, with some details still to be worked out.

Until now, the coalition's strategy has been to bypass the intractable growers and take their Campaign for Fair Food to the biggest buyers of Florida tomatoes, asking that they agree to pay an extra penny per pound to bring tomato harvesters up to a livable wage. Numerous companies agreed, including the parent company of Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, as well as McDonald's, Burger King and Whole Foods. But the coalition needed the growers' cooperation to accurately distribute the funds.

The first breakthrough came when two of the state's largest tomato growers, Pacific Tomato Growers and Six Ls, decided last month to break ranks and work with coalition. That victory paved the way for this one.

The coalition still has plenty of work ahead. Large retailers like Publix and Walmart still have not agreed to pay the extra penny, which will limit the benefits of the program. But due to a labor movement's extraordinary ingenuity and perseverance, better treatment is coming for the hardworking individuals whose toil brings fresh food to our tables. That is cause for celebration.