Tomato, tomahto. Let’s not call the whole thing off.
For months now, Taco Bell has been under fire about tomatoes.
The dispute arises from allegations made by the employees of one of
Taco Bell’s tomato suppliers. The pickers in the Immokalee
region of Florida have contended that, aside from being forced to
toil in poor working conditions, they are underpaid and forced to
work overtime without compensation.
College campuses around the country have held hunger strikes in
protest of the fast food giant. I must admit, I would probably
engage in a hunger strike as well, but not because I am against
Taco Bell’s labor practices ““ I just think its food is
gross.
And further jeopardizing the Mexican restaurant’s future
on campus, this week Taco Bell failed to provide the Associated
Students of UCLA with a report detailing the pickers’ working
conditions, breaking an agreement between the two sides.
It is unfortunate Taco Bell was unable to submit its findings on
the Floridian labor conditions by the Monday deadline. But as
college students, we should be the most forgiving of such an
infraction.
We are all too aware of how quickly the due date for a report
can sneak up on us. Even if a paper has been assigned for six
months, it can still seem necessary to seek an extension.
While it is clear Taco Bell has much to clarify regarding the
tomato situation in South Florida, it’s also clear that Taco
Bell’s unnecessary removal from UCLA is not the way to do
it.
The Taco Bell located on campus does not even receive tomatoes
from Florida. This franchise has done nothing remotely wrong. The
protesters are more interested in going after Taco Bell’s
name than its actions. Forcing its expulsion would not only fail to
impact the tomato situation but would harm the students who enjoy
the affordability, convenience and taste of Taco Bell.
The Six L’s Packing Co. of Southern Florida is the company
allegedly responsible for tomato pickers’ low wages, not Taco
Bell. It is alleged that Six L’s pays its laborers as little
as $.40 per bucket of tomatoes. The Coalition of Immokalee Workers
has every right to be infuriated and to seek higher wages from its
employer. But targeting Taco Bell because it is a nationally
recognized entity is a poor strategy ““ one that fails to look
at the root of the problem.
If Taco Bell is finding the labor situation in Florida too
demanding, then perhaps it should follow its own advice and make a
run for the border. Taco Bell should in no way feel bad about
outsourcing some of its production. After all, whenever I eat Taco
Bell’s food, it gets outsourced pretty quickly anyway.
ASUCLA is substituting its own politics for the will of the
students. Taco Bell serves more than 1,000 customers per day,
making it second to only Panda Express in campus eatery popularity.
Furthermore, while minor demonstrations have taken place, there
have been no truly successful boycotts of the UCLA-located
franchise.
Whether you are a disenfranchised tomato picker or a talking
Chihuahua, your voice has the right to be heard. What must be
examined is the truthfulness behind your message. And the truth
here is that the UCLA-run Taco Bell does not deserve to be shut
down. If you are still unhappy with the eatery, eat somewhere else.
But leave the decision of Taco Bell’s future up to the
students who choose to eat there.
Pfohl is a fourth-year history and political science
student. E-mail him at jpfohl@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments
to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.