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WEEKLY NEWS 4: U.S. Bishops Urge McDonald's to Work for Better Wages, Working Conditions for Florida Tomato Pickers

Last night at a benefit organized by the distilled spirits industry, a bottle of the first George Washington Distillery Straight Rye Whiskey produced at Mount Vernon in over 200 years sold for $100,000 -- a world record for a bottle of American whiskey.
Bishop DiMarzio urged McDonald's to partner with the Florida agricultural industry and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and cited an agreement similar to one entered into by Taco Bell and Yum Brand Inc. last year.

"McDonalds and other major food companies do not directly set farm workers' wages and working conditions," DiMarzio said. "But with your substantial purchasing power, you can insist that your produce suppliers meet high ethical standards in how they treat their workers. Farm workers should participate in setting and monitoring those standards, as workers know best the conditions to be remedied. In the "Responsible Purchasing" statement on its Web site, McDonald's states 'we know we can work with our suppliers to help improve their practices and set an example for other companies.' I urge you to apply that standard to how your produce suppliers treat farm workers. Given the competitiveness of global produce markets and the significance that your company's business constitutes for any individual grower, I hope that you will agree that McDonald's is in a position to require and enable suppliers to meet the standards you set."

Article courtesy of USNewsWire.com
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