Taco Bell boycott reaches Santa Clara

By Rachel Lu

The debate of paying one cent more per pound for tomatoes has motivated many students at Santa Clara University to participate in a national boycott of Taco Bell.

The boycott, which was announced on April 1, has been directed toward high school and college students, Taco Bell's target consumers. Since then, support for the boycott has spread nationwide, reaching the West Coast and the Santa Clara University campus.

Organized by the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), the boycott protests what they claim to be sweatshop conditions and indecent wages in the fields that produce Taco Bell's products.

As a previous consumer and part of Taco Bell's target market, Alejandra Lizardo, a sophomore and co-chair of MEChA, feels this is her responsibility.

"As students, we have that obligation and that power to influence others," she said.

In January of 2000, Immokalee, Florida's largest farm-worker community since 1977, discovered that Taco Bell was a major buyer of the tomatoes picked by the organization's migrant workers. They then requested meetings with Taco Bell representatives to discuss the improvement of working conditions and the picking-piece rate, the price paid for each pound of tomatoes picked.

The Immokalee's workers' wages have not increased since the 1970s. Coupled with the rate of inflation, the workers' wages and standard of living have significantly decreased.

Immokalee workers have asked the nation-wide fast food chain to pay one cent more per pound for tomatoes, which they say would increase their wage significantly. But Taco Bell did not accept CIW's invitation to meet.

In January of 2001, CIW tried again to meet with Taco Bell representatives, and again, its requests were denied. The CIW then organized the state-wide boycotts.

Once word of the boycott reached Santa Clara, students from various student organizations, such as MEChA El Frente, the Latino/a American student organization, and the Santa Clara Community Action Program (SCCAP), swiftly took up the cause.

Other students, such as sophomore Blair Thedinger, are not only showing their support by boycotting the chain, but also attended a CIW-organized protest on March 8, hosted by the CIW in San Francisco.

"I was motivated to attend the demonstration because I had heard that farm workers in Florida were calling for support and solidarity," Thedinger said.

Thedinger, who supports the tomato pickers, believes that the boycott was successful by publicly embarrassing Taco Bell and gaining more public support.

According to Taco Bell media relations representative Caroline Anawati, the dispute is between the tomato pickers and the growers and does not involve Taco Bell.

"It's not Taco Bell's place to interfere with labor disputes that aren't within the company," she said.

Taco Bell has also decided not to issue a general public statement explaining its position, but will only issue statements upon request, according to Anawati. She also added that the CIW boycott has been disparaging the Taco Bell brand, which has led to a decline in sales.

Brian Payne, the student leader of the Student/Farmworker Alliance of CIW, said that it is the company's responsibility to get involved with the labor disputes. He explained that Taco Bell is shirking from their responsibility.

"Taco Bell is refusing to acknowledge their role," Payne said.

Rose Thomas*, an employee at the Taco Bell on 2555 Alameda, said that some employees had heard about the boycott on the news, but had heard nothing from their supervisors.

It hasn't been until recently that Taco Bell met with CIW representatives during their Taco Bell Truth Tour, which covered 17 cities in 17 days from March 1-17.

Another goal of CIW is to have Taco Bell expelled from universities nation-wide who own stock in its parent company. According to Payne, there are 18 university campuses such as Duke University that are organizing to "Boot the Bell" from their campuses.

Payne continues to have faith that students can make a difference in changing Taco Bell's business practices.

"Taco Bell has completely misunderstood their target audience," said Payne, referring to the throngs of young people in high school and college, toward whom the Taco Bell ads are geared. "This is the same exact market that is really aware today and is starting to build a whole new social justice movement."

It has already been the one-year anniversary since the boycott has started. Taco Bell still has not issued a public statement.

Damara Luce, who works for the Interface Action of Southwest Florida and CIW, said that the boycott has made real progress. In particular the boycott has been effective in putting pressure on Taco Bell with universities threatening to pull Taco Bell off their campuses. Luce also believes that the ball is in Taco Bell's court to make some real changes.

"[The boycott] will last until there is real meaningful dialogue and change in the industry," he said.

*The name of this source has been changed at her request to protect her identity.