I recently received an email from Sojourners with these frightening facts about Burger King:"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."
"Worse yet, modern-day slavery has reemerged in Florida's fields; since 1997, the U.S. Department of Justice has prosecuted five slavery rings, freeing more than 1,000 workers. As a major buyer of Florida tomatoes, Burger King's purchasing practices place downward pressure on farm worker wages and put corporate profits before human dignity."
So what can we do about social injustices like these?
1. Investigate the companies where you are spending your money.
2. Write letters/send emails to Corporate Executives.
3. Boycott irresponsible companies. www.boycotts.org
Do you know of any companies that are not treating their workers fairly?
-Sarah
3 comments:
How about Nike? The shoe manufacturer paid Michael Jordan more money for an advertising campaign than the aggregate annual salaries of over 18,000 of its Indonesian workers. Also, the former CEO has made about $5 billion from the company, while workers in Asia are paid $10 for a 65-hour work week.
Doug sent me a link to this website below. http://www.tearsofgodplay.com
"Tears of God is an original play about modern slavery. It is the story of a young Russian girl, Dasha, who dreams of becoming a model in the US. However, her dreams were crushed as soon as she crossed the border. In a moment an innocent child is forced into sex slavery."
I forgot to mention that the play, Tears of God, is coming to the Belcourt Theatre on September 29th. I have posted the date on Upcoming Events as a reminder.
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