Immokalee Workers Claim Victory with Trader Joe’s Deal

Source: Democracy Now!

The Coalition of Immokalee Workers has announced a major victory in reaching an agreement with the grocery chain Trader Joe’s ensuring humane working conditions for farmworkers harvesting tomatoes sold inside its stores. On Thursday, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers said Trader Joe’s had finally agreed to join the group’s Fair Food Program after a lengthy public campaign that included protests in front of the chain’s locations. Before the deal, the farmworkers said their wages had remained stagnant since 1978, with tomato pickers having to put in 10-hour days just to make the minimum wage.