Christians Back Protests Against McDonald’s
A delegation of Presbyterian and United Church of Christ-backed Florida farmworkers will embark on a 10-day “mini-tour” to the Chicago area next month to carry their struggle for higher wages and better working conditions to fast-food giant McDonald’s – writes Evan Silverstein.
Florida farmworkers suffer the same miserable conditions experienced by generations of farmworkers, including forced labor and wages that leave them in deep poverty, according to the CIW. The pickers now earn 40 to 45 cents per 32-pound bucket, a rate essentially unchanged for nearly 30 years.
“We are disappointed that [McDonald’s] has chosen thus far not to follow Yum! and Taco Bell’s lead,” said the Rev Noelle Damico, a United Church of Christ minister who serves as the PC (USA)’s Associate for Fair Food. “Daily the chorus for food that is ‘fair,’ and not just fast, is rising among Presbyterians and other people of faith and conscience. We hope that this tour will help McDonald’s understand that their own customers want them to work as partners with the farmworkers.”
The blame not only lay with McDonalds – and similar companies using economic power to oppress – but also the blame lay with all those who shop and do business with McDonalds. When a mafia continuously engages in criminal behavior, those that voluntarily do business with those criminals share the guilt.
Additionally, McDonalds doesn’t deserve reprimand just for how it produces its product. McDonalds also deserves reprimand for what it produces – those disgusting fatty addictive grease-burgers and such. Fast-food is as bad as crack in my opinion.
However, again, the filthy crack dealer is only as guilty as the helpless drug addicts who do business with him.
