Posted by Dave on 07/29/08 at 01:10:40 pm
Categories: Labor

This makes me sad.

I like Chipotle. A lot. They have an excellent vegetarian fajita burrito, and they use fresh ingredients and get their meat from ethically treated animals.

Yet it seems that their "food with integrity" motto is more public relations spin than actual reality:

Chipotle Hypocrisy:

In recent years, Taco Bell and Burger King have foolishly resisted efforts by activists to marginally raise the piece rate they pay tomato pickers only to eventually buckle under the pressure of well-deserved bad press. Chipotle Mexican Grill seems to have learned nothing from their lessons.

Although Chipotle, the expanding Colorado-based restaurant chain formerly owned by McDonald's, touts its fair treatment of animals and its locally-sourced organic avocados, its colorful, interactive website neglects any mention of the fair treatment of farm workers. While CEO Steve Ells boasts about his "Food With Integrity" brand, he has ignored countless letters and petitions from all over the country, asking for an extra penny per pound for his tomato pickers.

Why is it that Chipotle places an emphasis on "integrity" with the food that they purchase but not with the workers that pick the food?

I have a guess... "ethical" food is trendy. Treating workers ethically and with integrity? Not so trendy. And in turn, it does not help the bottom line.

Take a look at the Coalition of Immokalee Workers website to see what you can do to let Chipotle that do not just care about where the food came from, but that you also care about the workers responsible for getting the food.

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