Ian Rudick wrote a letter to the editor of the Mountain Xpress complaining that Publix, a Floridian grocery chain expanding to the area, does not participate in the Fair Food Program. First of all, for those who don’t know the code, when “fair” is capitalized, it means “unfair.” Anyhoo, Rudick wrote:
. . . Imagine my dismay when my sister (who has a background training day care providers working with migrant farm workers) told me over Thanksgiving break that Publix refuses to pay an extra penny per pound to provide a bonus for Florida migrant farm workers. . . .
The Mountain X contacted Publix to find out why they weren’t paying the extra penny, and PR person Kim Reynolds said the company believes in fair payment and dignified and respectful treatment for laborers. However, it is not the company’s policy to pay suppliers’ employees directly.