But is student demand subsiding?

By Lauren Sage Reinlie
February 2005; pages 5, 15; Number 8
Issue

Poster by Sandra de la Concha

Two years ago, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers came to the University of Texas at Austin and opened the eyes of a number of students to the injustices of the agricultural industry in the U.S.

The workers said, "We make only 40 or 50 cents for each 32-lb. bucket of tomatoes we pick. We have no right to overtime, to benefits. No right to organize. In some cases, we have no right to freedom." The workers explained that they had helped uncover and prosecute six cases of what the Justice Department calls "modern-day slavery." Workers are trafficked from Mexico and, through fear and violence, are held captive, as slaves in the fields. (See Issue # 3, "Students Join Farm Workers")

The Coalition explained that fast-food corporations were profiting off their exploitation and abuse. One of these corporations, claiming over $5.4 billion in sales in 2003, is Taco Bell. The coalition was organizing a boycott against the industrial giant.

Students began seeking ways they, too, could help to better the conditions of agricultural workers in the U.S. Their eyes shifted to Taco Bell as a target that could apply pressure for change in the industry.

After the Coalition left, these student activists began to organize in order to use their consumer power and status as students at one of the largest universities in the country to support the movement for agricultural workers in the U.S. They say, Taco Bell, as an industry leader, has the ability and the responsibility to ensure that their tomatoes are picked in a fair working environment free from human rights abuses. "Taco Bell has the power to affect change in this industry, an industry so rotten in which so many things need to get fixed," says Alexis Herrera, a representative of the Student Labor Action Project. "Taco Bell can and should address this. It's up to us to put that pressure on Taco Bell."

Since then, the students have targeted efforts at removing the Taco Bell in the Texas Union on campus. Through a coalition of 31 student groups they have gathered over 1,000 signatures of support for the effort. Included with those supporting the boycott are sororities, fraternities, local ministers and groups from the Law School and the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Nationally the boycott has received endorsements from the Presbyterian Church, the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ and Pax Christi as well as the National Council of Churches, which represents 100,000 congregations and 45 million Christians in the U.S.

However, at UT student opposition remains and attempts from University business leaders and the Taco Bell company have misconstrued, and in some ways, stymied boycott efforts.

At UT, fast-food contractor Aramark signed a five-year deal with the University in 2000. Aramark owns and operates restaurants in the Union, but they also subcontract for some bigger name restaurants, such as Wendy's and Taco Bell. The Aramark contract is up in May, but subject to five, one-year renewals. It seems likely the contract will be renewed. Dave Puntch, associate director for the Texas Union, says Aramark has been a good business partner for the University, and the University has not yet opened for other bids.

Aramark representatives have told students that the company has the ability to end its contract with Taco Bell at any time. Henry Jackson, Aramark's manager for the Texas Union, did not return repeated phone calls.

Student activists at Portland State University, home to over 24,000 students, participated in a boycott against Taco Bell. Portland State University also has a contract with Aramark, set to expire on July 1. When the university manager of the account sent out calls for bids he reminded the companies that there was strong opposition on campus, and the companies should consider political implications of the brands they chose to include in their bid proposals (The Daily Vanguard, January 27, 2005).

Three companies, including Aramark, submitted proposals for the contract. None of the three included Taco Bell in their contracts.

Since the Coalition of Immokalee Workers began their boycott, Duke, UCLA, Notre Dame and 18 other colleges and universities have severed their contracts with Taco Bell.

Business leaders at UT say that the boycott is unnecessary and misdirected. Don Barton, vice president of Human Resources for Austaco, says they buy their tomatoes from Fresh Express and that none are picked by the workers in Immokalee.

Whether or not the tomatoes come from Immokalee, Austaco, the franchise that owns the Tabo Bell in the Union, profits off the brand name of Taco Bell which is, in turn, profiting off of the low wages of the agricultural industry, says Liz Wagoner, a UT law student. "This is how we are trying to change [the industry]," she says. "If this boycott succeeds it sets an extraordinary precedent for the way farm workers are treated in this country."

Barton says Austaco certainly profits off the Taco Bell brand name. "That's why you become a franchise," he says. "Certainly people want to be tied to a good brand whether that is Nike or Taco Bell or Foley's or whoever. You want to be associated with a winner and somebody that is profitable and successful."

Nada Antoun, Chairwoman of the Texas Union Board of Directors and a grad student, says one possibility for reaching compromise between the Union and the boycotters would be to prove to the boycotters that Taco Bell's tomatoes did not come from Six L's Packing Co.

Antoun referred Issue to The Daily Texan to find the connection between the activists and Six L's Packing Co. A front page, story was written by reporter Melissa Mixon and in it she states that activists are boycotting Taco Bell's ties to Six L's Packing Co. Afterward, Mixon acknowledged to student activists that Six L's was not mentioned in her interviews with them, on their website nor in any of their literature. Students argue that the "Six L's trap" is a strawman argument pushed by Taco Bell - and not protestors - to media across the country. (See "We Hereby Chastise ... The Daily Texan," this issue)

Barton says he is not aware of the conditions of the workers who are picking the tomatoes for the Austaco franchise. "But that's not an issue that the protestors are addressing," he says. "That doesn't seem to be a concern."

(Barton attended a recent educational forum on the Taco Bell boycott held in Austin at Faith Presbyterian Church, which has nationally endorsed the boycott along with a number of other religious groups across the country. Barton brought his own Presbyterian minister, whose husband faithfully stood to defend Barton near the end of the evening.)

Barton says that even if there were a problem, Austaco's opinion on the matter would have little impact nationally. "There are about 6,000 Taco Bell restaurants in the system. We have 68 stores - 1% of the stores out there. For somebody to think we can influence Taco Bell by ourselves ... I'd like to think we had that much power and that much clout but the reality is we really don't. We only represent a small portion of the system."

Austaco won Taco Bell's honorary Glenn Bell award in 2003, given to the Taco Bell franchisee of the year. Student activists say Austaco is not the lone franchisee feeling pressure from activists. The Student/Farmworker Alliance website claims there are solidarity campaigns at over 300 colleges and 50 high schools throughout the country.

Barton says he hasn't seen any reflection of the boycott in sales at the Union and that the restaurant had 161,000 transactions in 2004. "We have successful business there, and we would like to stay there. We think we have the support of the majority of the students here at the University of Texas."

It seems many students do still support their name-brand Taco Bell. During a protest Feb. 11 at the Texas Union, the crowds gathered in front of the restaurant armed with bullhorns and drums, calling for the boycott of Taco Bell. Some students seemed to be actively resisting the protest and continued to stand in line and order food. In fact, some students could be heard snickering, perhaps too distracted by the spectacle of the event to be able to extract the motive behind the madness.

"Students are not unhappy with Taco Bell. They're still eating there. They're still paying for the food," says Antoun. She says the removal of the Taco Bell from the Texas Union would be doing a disservice to students who are financially strapped due to tuition increases. She says the average cost of a meal at Taco Bell is $2.30, an amount significantly less than the other restaurants in the Union.

(Issue would like to note that Tamale House and other local taquerias offer breakfast and lunch fare for similar prices.)

Students at UT plan to continue to press for the removal of the Taco Bell. Antoun, of the Union Board, says a student government resolution would be a significant representation of student support. Wagoner, the law student, says the campaign is not working towards a resolution at this time and is instead going straight to the company to apply pressure.

At the same time the student activists are working to increase student awareness about the issue on campus. "Students who are still eating at the Taco Bell are not aware of the human rights abuses that are going on," says Wagoner. "We are trying to inform them about it and make them realize that a consumer boycott is the only way to get them to end these abuses."

Note: Aramark's UT office wants (or doesn't) to know your opinion on whether Taco Bell should stay or go: 512-475-6508 or jackson-henry@ara-mark.com. To contact local organizers against Taco Bell: slap_ut at fastmail dot fm