A group of UF students wants Wendy’s to ensure fair pay and working conditions for Florida’s tomato farmers, and they’re willing to stage a boycott of the Reitz Union Wendy’s if necessary.
Chispas UF, a student group that educates other students about the issues facing immigrant communities, is trying to teach students this semester about Wendy’s not being part of the Fair Food Agreement, said Uriel Perez, a member of Chispas UF.
The Fair Food Agreement is part of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers’ movement to require companies who buy tomatoes from Florida farmers, like those in Immokalee, to pay an extra penny per pound of tomatoes.
To make students aware of Wendy’s not being part of the agreement, Chispas UF is co-sponsoring a screening of "Food Chains," a film that follows Florida farmers last year as they stage a six-day fast in front of Publix’s headquarters in Lakeland. Publix has also not signed the agreement. The screening will be held at La Casita at 6:30 p.m. today.
Wendy’s spokesman Bob Bertini said Wendy’s has not joined because it buys tomatoes from suppliers.
Wendy’s requires all suppliers to comply with state and federal laws, Bertini said. All of its suppliers have signed the agreement to comply with worker health and safety standards, he said.
Where Wendy’s differs is the extra penny per pound of tomatoes the agreement requires, he said.
"It’s up to (the suppliers) to pay their employees," he said. "We don’t think it’s appropriate for us to pay the employees of our suppliers."
Perez, 22, said the Fair Food Agreement looks to protect the rights of Florida’s tomato farmers, many of whom are undocumented immigrants.
Richard Call used to eat at Wendy’s in the Reitz Union frequently because it was convenient during his shifts at the UF Bookstore, he said. The 22-year-old said Wendy’s was the only place on campus that served his favorite meal.
"It just happens to be the only place on campus with burgers and fries," the UF business management alumnus said.
UF’s Reitz Union Wendy’s is unusual because all campus dining runs through Aramark, the food company that oversees on-campus dining, Perez said. Aramark has signed on to the Fair Food Agreement, so the tomatoes used at the campus location are in compliance with the agreement.
But one Wendy’s complying isn’t enough, Perez said. He and his group are trying to speak with Wendy’s representatives to get them to join the agreement nationwide. If they are unsuccessful, the group may start boycotts in the Spring.
"It’s a principle," he said. "It’s an ethical issue."
Contact Caitlin Ostroff at costroff@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter @ceostroff
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