As the deadline nears for Taco Bell to meet conditions set by
the Associated Students of UCLA so the restaurant can keep its
place on campus, many people involved in the process are being left
in the dark.
Taco Bell was given a set of conditions to meet by ASUCLA in
December 2003, after the association heard complaints from workers
in the Immokalee region of Florida ““ an area that provides
the restaurant with much of its tomato supply.
Workers said they had no benefits and were forced to work
overtime without pay.
The ASUCLA board of directors told Taco Bell it had to hire a
third-party investigator to review the allegations of labor abuses
and ensure it was in compliance with both the University of
California Code of Conduct and the restaurant’s own code.
Taco Bell must submit the report within 10 working days of April
30, at which point the board will review the findings and decide
whether to renew the restaurant’s contract in June.
ASUCLA also told the restaurant that the investigator it hires
needs to be approved by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the
United Food Purchasing Co-op.
Dria Fearn, chairwoman of the Services Committee for ASUCLA,
said she has not seen any updates from Taco Bell in months and said
the university and the restaurant have been having communication
problems.
Fearn said she is skeptical that Taco Bell will contact the CIW
and have its report done by the deadline.
“It not only has to do with Taco Bell being on board, but
with the CIW being on board, and that’s probably
unlikely,” Fearn said.
Laurie Schalow, a spokeswoman for Taco Bell, said the company is
on target to have a report ready for the ASUCLA board of directors
by the deadline.
Schalow declined to say whether the company had hired an
investigator, but said representatives of Yum! Corporation ““
Taco Bell’s parent company ““ met with the CIW on April
12 in Atlanta.
Nick Laskowski, a volunteer with CIW, had a different story,
saying Taco Bell had not contacted CIW as of late last week to
present an investigator for approval.
Brian Payne, an organizer with the Student Farmworker Alliance,
a partner organization with CIW, confirmed that as far as he knew,
Taco Bell had not contacted CIW, and said he doesn’t think
the restaurant will.
“Taco Bell has broken its end,” Payne said, saying
his organization sent a letter to the company with suggestions of
investigative parties, but has received no correspondence in
return.
Payne said even if the investigation is conducted, Taco Bell
will lose its contract on campus, as an investigation would reveal
clear violations of the UC’s Code of Conduct.
Taco Bell sent a letter to ASUCLA in December saying it was
considering approaching the U.S. Department of Labor as an
investigative party.
But Tino Serrano, spokesman for the department, said the
government’s Los Angeles office has not been contacted by
Taco Bell.