MIAMI-
The Conference of Catholic Bishops has joined a growing number of religious groups calling on McDonald’s Corp. to push for higher wages for workers who pick tomatoes for the fast-food giant.
The Washington-based group of Roman Catholic bishops urged McDonald’s to work with the Florida agricultural industry and the farmworker advocacy group, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, to reach an agreement similar to one reached last year with Louisville-based Yum! Brands Inc., the parent of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC, after a four-year boycott.
Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio of Brooklyn, N.Y., head of the bishops’ Domestic Policy Committee, authored the letter to McDonald’s CEO James Skinner.
DiMarzio acknowledged that McDonald’s and other fast-food companies do not directly control farmworker wages, but added, “with your substantial purchasing power, you can insist that your produce suppliers meet high ethical standards in how they treat their workers.”
William Whitman, a McDonald’s spokesman, said he had not seen the letter but that the company has required suppliers to comply with its code of conduct on workers’ health, safety and legal rights since it was established in 1993.
“We believe that all employees, including those who work for our business partners, should be treated with dignity and respect in every aspect of the employment relationship,” he said.
Earlier this year, McDonald’s prompted Florida growers to develop a code to improve workplace conditions and protect workers, but the farmworkers were not included in the development of that program and it does not call for a boost in wages.
Florida pickers harvest about 90 percent of the nation’s domestic winter tomato supply.
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