Ramirez belonged to the Banana Workers Union of Izabal (SITRABI), one of the longest-standing and most powerful union organizations in Guatemala (Kern 2007). Consequently, SITRABI poses largest threat to the multi-national corporations and is the most attacked. In 1999, Bandegua was also found to have let go 900 workers found to be associated with this union (Kern 2007). However, despite the risk involved with unions, workers are left with little choice. With the transition away from the monopolistic UFCO, Guatemalan banana plantation workers held high hopes that more competition would provide more incentive for companies to offer better wages and working conditions. However, labor conditions on these plantations remain very poor. Low, insufficient incomes, long work days and exposure to dangerous, often illegal chemicals are commonplace (Banana Companies 2009). Attempts to organize come under attack by banana companies, both independent and transnational. This may take the form of illegal firings, plantation closure, temporary contracts, civil law suits, trumped up criminal charges, and violence targeting union leaders. Ramirez was only one of four union workers assassinated in 2007, and charges were not pressed in any case (Kern 2007).
In Peter Chapmans book “Bananas!: How the United Fruit Company Shaped the World,” he mentions the clear echoes of United Fruit today. His main target is Chiquita Brands International, a child of the UFCO that endured a marketing makeover by “the father of public relations” Edward Bernays who made it so the face of this multinational was an amiable cartoon character ‘Senorita Chiquita Banana’ (complete with a jingle, see attached video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFDOI24RRAE). The marketing fluff was a steel shield from what the company was truly involved in. The corporation has since admitted to paying nearly $2 million to right-wing death squads in Colombia (Kurtz-Phelan 2008). For these “pulpolitos,” spawns of the original “El Pulpo” to keep their hands in all pots in Guatemala, they needed to create a situation where they are needed by the people by creating situations of fear and dissent. By threatening union workers, bribing the government, restricting development and creating civil tensions they keep control. Guatemala was the gem of the UFCO, and today it is exists as one of the most turbulent countries in the Western Hemisphere (Kurtz-Phelan 2008).
Although the monopoly that the UFCO possessed ‘no longer exists,’ a statistic that remains the same is that that large plantations still control 90% of the internationally traded bananas, however this time it is shared between five main companies (Banana Companies 2009). The two largest producers and marketers of bananas are both US controlled companies: Dole Food Co. (formerly Standard Fruit) and Chiquita Brands International (which transitioned form the United Fruit Company to United Brands following the suicide of United Fruits founder Minor Keith)(Shah 2009). Together, these companies control half of the international banana trade with Fresh Del Monte Produce, Exportadora Banaera Noboa, and Fyffes constituting the remainder (Banana Companies 2009). With the emergence of the civil society, human rights organizations and general transparency through increased access to information via the internet, there is more pressure for these companies to take responsibility for their actions. According to “Banana Link,” an organization campaigning for fair and sustainable banana trade, this has resulted in some companies taking a “more serious approach to ethical, social and environmental issues in recent years” (Banana Companies 2009). Reportedly Dole Fresh Fruit signed a deal with TransFair USA to import bananas under the fair-trade label making it the largest US importer of fair trade bananas (Knowes 2007).
Unfortunately, the production of large quantities of low-cost, unblemished bananas requires intensive chemical input and low cost labor. Low cost labor is associated with all of the aspects of the company’s negative reputation. Therefore, they did not want to be held accountable for everything that happened on these plantations. Due to this, a trend emerged where these companies began to give up direct ownership of plantations by creating contracts with well established producers in the countries where they operate (Banana Companies 2009). The main benefit to these agreements is simultaneously giving up direct responsibility for the social and environmental conditions on the plantations and allowing local producers to operate to their own standard.
The echoes of the United Fruit Company are drowned out by the shouts of the Guatemalan people. They want their land, they want their lives. The United Fruit Company morphed in to United Brands which rivaled Standard Fruit some 20 years ago. Today these companies still exist as Chiquita and Dole, and they still control half of the banana trade. Names and faces may have changed, however repression, corruption, and injustice are still in charge. As Senorita Chiquita Banana should sing, “Bananas have to ripen in a civil way.”
Sources
"Banana Companies." Banana Companies. 2009. Web. 02 Dec. 2009.
Kern, Kimberly. "Guatemala: Banana Workers Union Leader Assasinated." Guatemala: Banana Workers Union Leader Assasinated. 24 Oct. 2007. Web. 02 Dec. 2009.
Knowles, Mike. Dole Signs Deal to Import Fairtrade Fruit. Market Intelligence Ltd., 02 Oct. 2009. Web. 06 Dec. 2009. http://www.fruitnet.com/content.aspx?cid=4532
Kurtz-Phelan, Daniel. "Big Fruit." Big Fruit. 02 Mar. 2008. Web. 02 Dec. 2009.
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