Tuesday, February 15, 2005But he that dares not grasp the thornShould never crave the rose* Olga Alicia Tutillo is a flower worker and secretary general of the union at Rosas del Ecuador in Cayambe, Ecuador. She decribes the working conditions for flower workers in Ecuador. Workers arrive at the plantations at 7 a.m. and stay until 3 a.m. the following morning, resting only for a few hours. After Valentine's Day, many workers are fired, and many can't find new jobs until rose production increases again for Mother's Day exports. She goes on to describe the sicknesses that affect her and her co-workers as they are exposed to pesticides used in cut flower production in Latin America – more than 100 pesticides are used, many of them highly toxic and prohibited in the US. She also comments that out of 300 flower companies in Ecuador, only 4 have unions. Employer pressure and threats keep many workers from trying to form or join a union where they could press for better conditions and pay. She goes on to describe the discrimination of women, many of whom are illegally required to take a pregnancy test before they are hired. Pregnant woman are considered a financial drain on the companies because the woman miss work to give birth or take care of their children. But Olga and her co-workers aren’t advocating that we stop buying flowers. Instead, I hope that the next time you buy a rose, you will let the florist know that you are concerned about the health and rights of the workers, and that you would like them to make sure that the plantations they buy from comply with national laws and international labor standards. For more information, check out the Fairness in Flowers Campaign or TransFair USA (which focuses on coffee mostly, but gives you information about the Fair Trade mission. *Anne Bronte posted by chris at 2:20 PM ------------------ |
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