La
Raza petitions against Taco Bell
By Maritza Diaz
On-line Forty-Niner
Students
from La Raza, a student organization at
Cal State Long Beach, have created a petition
to have Taco Bell removed from campus.
Since the beginning of the semester, a committee
has been in the process of collecting signatures
from students and faculty for the petition.
Their goal is to collect enough signatures
to show that there are many people against
the chain, according Mariza Biera, a senior
who is in charge of the petition.
The petition is part of an ongoing protest
against the fast food chain from the Coalition
of Immakolee Workers in Florida, that claims
the fast food giant uses a packing company
that offers low wages and poor working conditions
to its farm workers. La Raza is one of the
organizations on campus that supports the
coalition.
“This is something that needs to be handled,”
she said, “Taco Bell has the power to do
something about it.”
Laurie Gannon, a spokesperson for Taco Bell,
said the labor dispute is between the farm
workers and the packing company, not Taco
Bell.
“This is a labor dispute that has been going
on for years between the pickers and the
packing company. They have not come to a
resolution,” she said.
Gannon stated that Taco Bell does not have
the power to influence the change in the
working conditions of the workers.
“I think it’s very unfortunate that [boycott
supporters] want to disparage our name.
Especially with college students who like
our product,” Gannon said.
However, supporters of the boycott disagree
on the kind of power the fast food chain
has.
“They have the power as a multi-million
dollar company to create positive changes
for the field workers,” Aldo Gonzalez, a
junior and member of La Raza said. “Whether
it is by pressuring the growers or paying
an extra penny a pound for their tomatoes.”
Roman Gulon, general manager of the Forty
Niner Shops Inc, said he was not aware of
any petition being circulated against Taco
Bell.
“I am aware of the issue [with Taco Bell].
I haven’t had any issues with them,” he
said.
CSULB still holds a four-year contract with
Taco Bell and would not be able to remove
the fast food chain even if the petition
was presented, Gulon said.
“We can’t do anything about [breaking the
contract], unless they want to pay the damages
for doing so,” Gulon said.
La Raza has had workers from the fields
in Florida come and speak on campus and
talk about their experiences. There have
been nationwide protests against the company,
including recently one in front of Taco
Bell headquarters, according to Gonzalez.
There are, however, some people in La Raza
who don’t agree with the petition, Biera
said.
“I know there are a few who are worried
about the workers of Taco Bell and what’s
going to happen to them,” she said.
Biera, however, feels that the farm workers
do not have the same opportunities as those
who work at Taco Bell.
Gannon stated that Taco Bell has tried to
help the workers.
“We even offered the workers jobs, we would
be happy to employ them. Not one of them
has taken the offer,” Gannon said.
Biera speaks to classes about the conditions
the farm workers experience and hopes to
plan rallies on campus.
Biera and Gonzalez hope their work will
help in spreading the word about the situation
with the farm workers.
“It’s not just our school that’s doing this,
it’s a nationwide boycott,” Biera said,
“I saw the workers and they are so determined.
I want to help them out.”
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