Jul 19, 2007

bk - have it your way

I read this little bit of info off of Bart Campolo's web site:

Farm workers who pick tomatoes for Burger King’s sandwiches earn 40 to 50 cents for every 32-pound bucket of tomatoes they pick, a rate that has not risen significantly in nearly 30 years. Workers who toil from dawn to dusk must pick two tons of tomatoes to earn $50 in one day.


McDonald’s and other fast-food chains have committed to guaranteeing improved wages and enforcing a code of conduct for conditions in the fields. But Burger King — the second-largest hamburger chain in the world — has so far refused to work with farm workers and heed the call of the faith community to improve wages and working conditions for those who pick its tomatoes.

If you're interested in signing a preformated letter to Burger King management and asking them to ensure fair wages for their farm workers, click HERE

9 comments:

irreverend fox said...

what is a fair wage? is $20/hour fair? $30/hour?

and are these indentured servants? what prevents them from finding other employment? I know I wouldn't work for such low wages...and I'm a highschool drop out.

I'm sure a lack of workers would drive wages up...free market capitalism is a wonderful thing if left alone!

tonymyles said...

Whatever keeps poverty active in other countries so that we can stay prosperous in America might very well be argued to be a form of indentured service... and possibly even indirect slavery.

irreverend fox said...

Every single impoverished nation in the world is enslaved by dictators and warlords...not the United States. That is a JOKE! Were it not for the incredible generosity of our government AND our people just giving to aid the world...to fight hunger and disease…where would those people be? We led the WORLD in all relief efforts bar none. The United States has been the greatest influence for human rights in the HISTORY of civilization. We have brought more relief, fought for our freedom and the freedom of others (Europe, Asia...)...this world should thank the Lord every night that we are the good guys! Name one other nation that has the might to conquer her neighbors...and has not.

Africa and South America each have just as many if not more natural resources as the United States...the reason we have prospered and they have not is because of FREEDOM! Our people are free to conduct business, buy and sell…and conduct business. They don’t. Set those people free...and watch out! Free market capitalism will bring wealth to them as it has for us. It works every single time.

irreverend fox said...

...also I was not aware that these workers were not working in the US. but my point remains...the reason those people have no other option is not our fault...it is the socialist form of government or full blown dictatorships that CHOKES their economies. were it not for Burger King they would likely have not other option. life is tuff...I don't blame Burger King or any other company for getting the best deal they can...so long as people are free to walk away.

tonymyles said...

I don't think I'm arguing with any of that, but I do believe that to whom much has been given, much is expected. If you make more than $3 a day, you're actually richer than most of the rest of the world.

In light of that, I wonder if we're to do more than offer aid to other countries but also work to redeem the situation even more proactively.

irreverend fox said...

I agree TOTALLY with your last statement...the best thing we could do to really help those people would be to drop the MOB’s in a few dictators bedroom windows...

I'm serious...if we really wanted to do something to really help people in the third world...we would support real efforts to over throw their tyrants. There is no third world, impoverished nation that has a government run by the people. Those two concepts are mutually exclusive.

FREEDOM will end world hunger!

tonymyles said...

That is one way to attempt a solution, but wouldn't it be great if the answer was more directly in line with the redemptive way of Jesus?

I find it interesting that instead of God wiping the world clean of its tyrants and then coming to earth as Jesus, He did this sort of grassroots thing through a movement of self-sacrifice that is the very reason you and I are here talking about this right now.

We're supposed to follow Jesus, right? At least, that's my impression... which means if that is so we should look to His ways and when we bleed let the colors be Redemptive Red (and not merely red, white, and blue).

Because He's the Savior of the world... and His people are the light that shine on His behalf in atypical ways... right?

irreverend fox said...

"wouldn't it be great if the answer was more directly in line with the redemptive way of Jesus?"

amen brother, amen.

but what do we do with wicked tyrants who refuse to repent and become Christian? do we allow them to continue in their tyranny? it is a hard question, certainly...it's easy for us to tell those poor souls to "pray" and "trust God" after sitting down at our computers...thinking "it's not hot enough to have the air on today, I should turn it off"...still stuffed from Golden Corral...

tonymyles said...

We walk in the Way of Jesus. I don't think we ever stop doing that... even when it doesn't "work."