Corporate Values

Two recommendations
1. eat at Taco Bell
2. see Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

After a nearly four year fight (led by CIW), news of Yum! Brands' decision to address the pay and work conditions of its Taco Bell tomato growers in Florida is slowly trickling out. Yum! made the unprecendented announcement back in March (see news story excerpt below). In the event that you believe farmworkers' pay isn't your problem, I'd suggest you think about how much that tomato or strawberry would cost if it was harvested exclusively by legal, English-speaking citizens. I think it's pretty easy to forget where our food comes from. Do you at least agree with me that the Yum! people did a brave thing in (eventually) taking the lead on a contentious issue? If you're interested in contacting other major fast food companies to encourage them to follow Taco Bell's lead, check out the CIW website for form letters.

From a March 2005 CBS News story on the announcement:

"We recognize that Florida tomato workers do not enjoy the same rights and conditions as employees in other industries, and there is a need for reform," says [Taco Bell's president, Emil] Brolick. "We have indicated that any solution must be industry-wide, as our company simply does not have the clout alone to solve the issues raised by the CIW, but we are willing to play a leadership role within our industry to be part of the solution."

The agreement with the CIW sets up a process for workers to file complaints about their pay or treatment that would be jointly investigated by the coalition and Yum. Yum also agreed to help the coalition set up a strategy to lobby the Florida Legislature for laws requiring better working conditions.

Along with Taco Bell, Yum restaurants include KFC, Pizza Hut, Long John Silver's and A&W All-American Food Restaurants. Yum spokesman Jonathan Blum said the agreement reached with the farm workers does not affect any Yum restaurant besides Taco Bell.

MOVIE REVIEW
Okay, the Enron movie is low budget and starts slowly but by the end you're completely hooked. I wondered how this information made it into the book and movie but is not making for a clear cut case in court, but I'm sure these guys have well paid lawyers. The stories behind the highs and lows of Lay, Fastow and especially Skilling are not pretty. Portrayals emphasize dark aspects of their rise and fall--all the more, um, entertaining for a movie. The real feeling by the end, though, is frustration. The movie's comparison of Enron day-traders to participants in the Milgram study is chilling. I wonder at what other organizations or settings such a comparison could be fairly made.