Every story has two sides. But there's so much to say about this story that makes me sick that I have to say that sometimes those sides are good and evil.
Here in the Christmas season, I'm supposed to be finishing up the regular work of disappointing my family, near and far, and myself and trying to finish my "joyful" shopping. Instead, I'm morose that anyone can defend keeping people in penury this close to bondage.
I'm outraged that anyone like Reggie Brown of the Florida Tomato Growers Exchange can utter so much bullshit in support of craven desire to exploit the poor:
- It's "un-American" to form anything that looks like a union.
- It's illegal to try to pressure buyers to force their suppliers to pay a fairer wage, yet it's fine for the Exchange to fine growers who agree.
- The pickers already get $12.50 an hour. (Oh, bullshit!)
- Readers should consider the free transportation to the fields from their American favela.
If we weren’t paying a very competitive wage and giving these workers enough money to send to their families in Mexico and Central America, we wouldn’t be able to attract a labor force...He wants to pay third-world wages. It's his business model.
This is our economy. Brown is competing with Mexican and Brazilian tomatoes, which are picked under third world conditions. If his competitors held slaves, he would want to do so as well.
Can we stop claiming now that we live in a class-free society? Classless, sure...
Update: Now, this is rich. The Exchange has a website, where they claim:
The Florida Tomato Growers Exchange is an agricultural cooperative of Florida tomato growers who operate as socially accountable farm employers by participating in comprehensive programs that certify employment, health, housing and safety practices. The industry is strongly committed to supporting long-term solutions that improve the lives of their employees.I love tomatoes. Now I know what they're fertilizing them with.
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