Subway, "the world’s largest sandwich chain and the biggest fast-food buyer of Florida tomatoes", has agreed to pay an additional penny per pound to Florida tomato pickers.

The agreement came as the Coalition of Immokolee Workers (CIW) visited the Subway's headquarters in Miami on Tuesday to ask for fairer wages and better working conditions for the farmworkers.  The deal similar to those the group has reached with other fast food giants such asTaco Bell, McDonald's and Burger King.

“Today, the fast-food industry has spoken with one voice,” said Gerardo Reyes, a member of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers.

“With this agreement, the four largest restaurant companies in the world have now joined their voices to the growing call for a more modern, more humane agricultural industry in Florida. Now it is time for others in the fast food and supermarket industry to follow suit and for the promise of long-overdue labor reform in Florida’s fields contained in these agreements to be made real.”

Senator Bernie Sanders, a long time supporter of farmworkers' rights, praised the agreement calling it "yet another blow to the scourge of slavery that continues to exist in the tomato fields of Florida.  Subway is to be congratulated for moving to ensure that none of its products are harvested by slave or near-slave labor. Sadly, too many other companies continue to tolerate this travesty."   Sanders travelled to Florida earlier this year to talk with workers in Immokolee after federal officials busted up a forced labor operation in the area.