Commentary: Justice for Only a Penny

Refusing to help improve the abysmal conditions of the tomato pickers who are vital to the hugely profitable fast-food industry is not enough for Burger King. Now the industry giant has joined a drive to undo agreements by its major competitors to help the pickers. The agreements cover McDonald's, which had been threatened with a boycott such as that which earlier won agreements from Taco B ell and the five other franchises owned by Yum Brands. The companies agreed to increase by a penny what they had been paying growers per pound of tomatoes, with the understanding that the extra penny would go directly to the poverty-bound workers -- most of them undocumented Latinos -- so they could finally earn something at least approaching a living wage. The raise nearly doubled the previous pay for their truly back-breaking work under the blistering hot sun in southern Florida. It would cost industry giant Burger King relatively little to grant the raise. But it has chosen to join a drive by leaders of Florida's major growers group to try t overturn the agreements by McDonald's and Yum Brands. The growers, however, are facing formidable oppositions from the coalition of workers, student and labor activists, religious and political leaders and others who led the drive that won the agreements.