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The
Maine Campus 2/10/05
By Matt Conyers
On Monday, the Progressive
Student Alliance took its first public step towards establishing a campus-wide
boycott of Taco Bell. The group, a major player in last semester's campaign
to encourage people to vote in the national election, organized a table
in Memorial Union yesterday to address Taco Bell's treatment of its
workers and collect signatures for the boycott.
The boycott centers on Taco Bell and its parent company, Yum! Brands.
In Immokalee, Fla., workers of the two major food franchises are paid
between 30 cents and 40 cents for every 32-pound bucket of tomatoes
picked. To make minimum wage, the Immokalee tomato pickers must pick
320 pounds of tomatoes per hour. PSA has organized a campus-wide boycott
of Taco Bell to increase awareness the mistreatment of the company's
employees. The Taco Bell boycott stems from a larger movement at the
national level by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.
Taco Bell has been in its current location in the Memorial Union since
the Marketplace opened in November 2001. Sarah Bigney, initiator of
the boycott and secretary of the PSA, took time Monday to discuss the
initiative.
"The Progressive Student Alliance has endorsed the boycott as one
of its big projects for the semester," Bigney said. "We are
having a table put out twice a week to get signatures, and are going
to different groups that might be receptive to working with us. We
are exploring different channels. The employees [in Immokalee] have
not gotten a raise since 1978."
At the start of the spring semester, Bigney introduced the cause to
the PSA. The group expressed strong interest in the boycott and began
to establish the campus-wide movement.
"I learned about this Taco Bell boycott maybe two or three years
ago, so I have been excited about it for sometime," said Bigney.
"The time was really right to get people aware of this, and the
national energy is really high right now on this campaign."
Bigney said she looked beyond the UMaine campus to began the campaign.
"When I decided
I really wanted to start this on campus, I talked to the Student Farmer
Workers' Alliance out of Florida, so we have a resource nationally that
can help us out," Bigney said.
She said the PSA is currently focusing on obtaining signatures of students
who are upset over the problem, and is eager to expand the movement
even further.
"We met with Ed Nase, head of Dining Services, and he said Taco
Bell's contract was up in a year and a half," Bigney said. "To
break the contract early, which is what we would like to do, you have
to pay it, and we are trying to figure out how much that will be."
She said Nase and the rest of Dining Services have been very helpful
with the boycott.
"The Dining Services here are very receptive to what we have to
say and concerned about our issues," Bigney said.
However, Nase said the chance of UMaine breaking the contract is considerably
small.
"Generally this gets handled at a higher level and I haven't heard
anything," Nase said.
Dawn Aubrey, project manager for Dining Services, spoke about when
the Taco Bell contract was signed, "This agreement was made prior to
our time here," Aubrey said. "For a variety of reasons, both
financially and legally, it will occur on a level far higher from us
on how to address that agreement."
Aubrey said that Dining Services has reservations about the project.
"To be quite honest, I am quite concerned about the concept of
a boycott," Aubrey said.
Tracy Allen, a sophomore double major in studio art and international
affairs, is the democratic action chair for PSA. She said the group
understands the implications of this boycott and is creating other ways
to increase knowledge of the campaign.
"One of our plans is having a big night where we serve a free Mexican
meal that has local organic produce and show a DVD about the campaign,"
Allen said.
Bigney said the PSA understands that it is unlikely Taco Bell will disapear
anytime soon.
"Basically,
the big part is education," she said. "So, even if we can't
break the contract, we want everyone to know what the big issues with
Taco Bell are."
"The larger goal is to raise awareness of workers' rights and fair
labor in a broader sense," Allen said. "I think Taco Bell
is one of the specific ways we can reach students; It's a place where
they eat pretty regularly; It's place right on campus."
UMaine is not the only school taking part in the initiative. Bigney
said that 21 schools have kicked Taco Bell off their campuses, the last
one being Notre Dame.
She said the group is happy with the wide range of opinions that has
comprised the initial reaction.
"People have been really receptive," said Bigney. "The
PSA tables for a lot of different issues but I have never seen people
as receptive to an issue. People are really interested."
Bigney said the boycott could lead to more important issues.
"I think the important thing to remember is this isn't just about
Taco Bell," Bigney said. "It's about making people aware
of all different issues with farm workers and address labor issues
and workers' rights."
Aubrey said that this issue is important and will be handled with care.
"This is something that won't be ignored," Aubrey said. "However,
it has to go through the channels and be handled in a way that is in the best
interest to the university."
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