CIW and Burger King Reach Landmark Agreement!

May 23-CIW and Burger King to work together to improve farmworker wages and conditions!!

On Friday, May 23, at a press conference in the U.S. Capitol, the CIW and Burger King signed an agreement to work together to improve farmworker wages and working conditions in Burger King's tomato supply chain. This was possible because of the letters, prayers, and solidarity of people of faith from across Florida and the country.

Watch the video of the press conference from Sojourners.

The press conference/signing was hosted by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders at the U.S. Capitol, with a statement also released from Senator Durbin. Despite the extremely last minute nature of the event, the CIW was also joined by representatives from the Presbyterian Church (USA), Sojourners, the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society, the Unitarian Universalist Association, and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Mr. John Carr, Executive Director of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development delivered a statement by Bishop Murphy, Chair of that committee, at the press conference.

Here are the details of the agreement:

* Burger King Corporation has agreed to pay an additional net penny per pound for Florida tomatoes to increase wages for the Florida farm workers who harvest tomatoes. To encourage grower participation in this increased wage program, BK will also fund incremental payroll taxes and administrative costs incurred by the growers as a result of their farmworkers' increased wages, or a total of 1.5 cents per pound of tomatoes.

* BK also joins other fast-food industry leaders and the CIW in calling for an industry-wide net penny per pound surcharge to increase wages for Florida tomato harvesters.

* BK and the CIW have established zero tolerance guidelines for certain unlawful activities that require immediate termination of any grower from the BURGER KING® supply chain. The BKC/CIW collaboration additionally provides for farmworker participation in the monitoring of growers' compliance with the company's vendor code of conduct.

THANK YOU to everyone for your hard work on the petition campaign, letter-writing, praying, and more!! After a year of pressure, the world's second-largest hamburger chain will be ensuring justice for those who pick its tomatoes.

For additional pictures and coverage of the agreement ceremony, visit the CIW website.