East Coast Growers and Packers, one of Florida's largest tomato growers, has confirmed that it has agreed to work with the non-profit group Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW) and will implement a penny-per-pound wage increase for workers. East Coast workers raise and ship most of the tomatoes Americans eat during the cold months through name brands such as King's Choice, Red Rose, Ruskin Cream and Skipjack.
East Coast Growers and Packers vice president and sales manager Batista Madonia Jr. said this agreement was a commitment to social responsibility — a commitment to East Coast employees and East Coast customers, who represent the nation's top restaurants, many of whom had already reached an agreement with CIW.
Several quick-service brands have agreements with the CIW for the penny-per-pound wage increase, including Yum! Brands, McDonald's and Burger King. The wage increases have gone into escrow because a Florida tomato industry cooperative has blocked the increase. The direct agreement between the packing company and the CIW allows the wage increase to bypass the escrow.
"We've now provided a mechanism for the money to get into the hands of the workers who harvest the company's tomatoes," Madonia Jr. said.
