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: DELANO, CALIFORNIAVOLUME IV NUMBER 6SEPTEMBER 1, 1970
The Voice of the Farm Worker
,EI· Malc:riado
10,000 California farmworkers in general strike
I See pages 3 ~n~_6]
1- \
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2/EL MALCRIADO
EDITORIAL- -
SALINAS AND SANTA MARIA:
violence, greedand·stupi.dity
FILL OUT THIS CAID AND SEND IT ,WITH U.SO TO THE AlOft ADD"SSFOR A ONE, YEAR SUISCRIPTION TO EL MALCRIADO,
NAME· _
ADDRESS·
CITY· ~.s;,;.T:;.An:.;;.. .,;Z;.;I;,;,'__
Only time will
Maria, time is
UFW OC attorney
jerry Cohen, one
of four attacked
by grower goons.
EL MALCRIADo. The Voice 01 ... F...mWorker, Is publ1.~ed- monlllly by 1Ile LNI11!DFARM WORKERS ORGANIZING COMMITI'EB,
AFL-CIO. Subscrtpt10ns In lIle UUllOd S.......Its posses.lons are $3.50 per year, and tOl'eip,
Includlng Canada and MexIco, US $5.00.Editorial and business offiCes,. located at .he
northwest corner of Garces H..l&bway aDd MItt...Avenue. Delano, California.
Address all correoponclot>o<! to: EL MALCRIADO
pos, Office So'x 130. Delano, C.Ufomla 93215.Second class postall'" paid DeIODb. C&lIIorDIL
Cover drawing and drawingpage 6 by Andy Zermeno.photos pages 3~ 4~ 5~
7~ 8~ 9~ and 10 by CrisSanchez.
running out!
grower associations who have bought and sold farm
workers like chattels for decades.
And violence was once again declared the law
of the valley, when the :growers held the Teamstersunion to their phoney sweetheart contracts, against
the will of the workers. Violence always seems to
be a travelling companion of greed, selfishness,
and stupidity. ---Selfishness, because the large
conglomerates which exploit campesinos allover
the world are now feasting on the sweat of lettuce
pickers who want their own union in Salinas and
Sarita Maria. ---Stupidity, because the growers
once again would rather see their produce rot than
settle with the farm wu. kers.
Is an enlightenment possible?
tell. And in Salinas and Santa
history:
Nor. and aor. p.op1. ar. find inc out tbat ,.ub.cription to EL MALCIIADO 1. the b••t ,••,to k••p up with the f.ra work.r .tru"l••Don't b. 1.ft out·· •••• 1. thl. coupo. t ...,1
SalinasDon Sotoco to El MalcriadoInter-Harvest signsBorder Patrol raids
farm worker strike in U.S.
"Okay, boys, go get him!"
It sounds like a line from a john Wayne movie,
doesn't it? The words were uttered by a major
grower in the Salinas Valley who ordered his goons
to attack jerry Cohen, UFWOC's attorney, Venus-'
tiano Olguin, a UFWOC organizer, and jacques Levy,
a UPI reporter. Another UFWOC organizer, Raul
Santiago, was attacked at the Point Sal Ranch in
Santa Maria.Cohen spent several days in a Salinas hospi
tal from the brain concussion he received while
investigating a sit-in strike at the Handen ranch
in the Salinas Valley.
Violence was the growers' response to the strike
vote of more than 6,000 farm workers who voted
with their feet not to support company unionism
or the unchecked power of the vegetable growers
in the Salinas Valley.But the violence of the growers did not start
with the attack on the three men at the Hanser.
Ranch. The violence began long ago, when growers
resisted several attempts of farm workers to or
ganize for their own protection and self-defense.
Violence was written into the bylaws of the various
EL NALCRIADOP.O. lOX 130DELAHQ, CA
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page 3page 6page 7page 8
LargestIN THIS ISSUE:
EL MALCRIADO/3
<, ten1/ .'?~.,~"" ~~ ~
Itil~ thousand j
Q/:'Iv. farm~c
workerson strike
~
InCalifornia
• Over 10,000 farm workers are
now on strike in five California
counties: Monterey, San Benito,Santa Cruz, San Luis Obispo, and
northern Santa Barbara counties.
Most of these farm workers have
signed authorization cards for
UFWOC in recent weeks. Theirdemands for a strike were denied
repeatedly as UFWOC granted the
growers a six day, then a ten day
moratorium.
growers useTeamsters tofight Chavez
• After failing to get the allegiance of the workers, growers be
gan to intimidate workers into sign
ing Teamster authorization cards.
Several workers were fired from the
FreshPict Produce Company and
other ranches for refusing to work
under the sweetheart contract.
• UFWOC had reached an agree
ment with the Teamsters Union
(concerning their jurisdictional
dispute) on August 12th with the
help of the Catholic Bishops FarmLabor Committee, represented by
Monsignor George Higgins. In gen
eral, the agreement reads that the
Teamsters will have jurisdic
tion over canneries, frozen food
processing plants, warehouses, and
truck drivers. UFWOC will or
ganize all field workers.
workers demanda strike
.The ten day moratorium cameto an end Saturday, August 22. On
the next day, angry farm workers
shouted that they would walk Out
on strike the follOWing Monday.
Monsignor Higgins announced to the
strikers that the growers were di
vided among themselves but agreed
to reject UFWOC and hold the
Teamsters to the contracts which
had been signed in the latter part
of July.
• Herb Fleming, president of the
Grower- Shipper Vegetable Associa
tion had announced on August 21:
"We have negotiated proper and
legal contracts with the Teamster
union. They have assured us that
they will honor these contracts,
and we intend to do the same."
4,000 attendSaHnas
strike meeting• Four thousand workers as
sembled on the grounds of Hartnell
College to attend Catholic massand unanimously express their de
sire to begin the strike the fol
lOWing day, August 24. The presi
dent of each ranch committee spokefor his fellow workers. Some of
the workers gave short speeches.
Raul Castillo, a lettuce worker,said the following: "Fellow campe
sinos, we are here to show the
world our nonconformity -- to do
continued on next page
4/EL MALCRIADO
salinasstrike:
our part to uplift the life of ourfarm worker families. They livein poverty in this country which isth~ number one farming country in
the world." Castillo made reference to the martyrs of Chicagoof 1886 who gave their lives for thelabor movement. He also referredto the agrarian heroes of Mexicoand added: "Outside of thisunion the farm worker will neverreally be recognized as a human
being. Viva la Huelga! VivaCesar Chavez! Vivan los Mexicanos! Vivan los campesinos!
"the union is.our strength,'
brothers. "• Another farm worker, Jose LuisCastro, representing the lettuce cutters of the R. T. England Companysaid: "In view of the fact thatthe growers have done nothing during the moratorium we gave them,there is no other thing to do butstrike. We can't forget that theunion is our strength, brothers -and there is no obstacle that wecannot overcome .as long as we havethe suppOrt of our leader,. CesarGhavez. Que Viva La Huelga!
" ...growers areangry at us
for not sellingourselves out."
• Antonio Sagredo, another lettuceworker stated the following: "Letthe people and the government of theUnited States know that we areready to work -- but that we musthave what we ask. It isn't verymuch. We don't ask the impos-
photographs on this page:TOP: Workers using theshort-handled hoe thinlettuce at the Bud AntleRanch.MIDDLE: At Sunday'sstrike rally~ farm workersprotest high rental ratesin the migrant camps ofthe Bruce Church Ranch.BOTTOM: The 2nd of Augustfinds farm workers marching to Salinas.
photographs opposite ,page:TOP LEFT: A worker at theDriscoll Strawberry Ranch~
whose employees votedunanimously to join UFWOC .TOP RIGHT: The Bud AntleRanch in Salinas.MIDDLE and BOTTOM.; Farmworkers brought bannersfrom allover the SalinasValley to the strike vote.
EL MALCRlADO/5
sible -- only that they look upon
us as human beings. We have the
same ambitions as they do. We
have families. We have rights.
Weare people. Why must they
continue to treat us like beasts of
burc\en and look for a thousand ways
to keep us down. They sold us
out to the Teamsters, and now they
are angry at us for not selling
ourselves out. And now they
would lose their crops rather than
give in. But the people know we
are right. They will give us their
support. We shall triumph.'
"growers ru Ieby fear,"
Chavez sayseUFWOC vice-president Dolores
Huerta relayed a message from Ce
sar Chavez. Chavez stated that
UFWOC had agreed to delay a strike
for 10 days at the request of the
growers and Teamsters. "UFWOC
acted in good faith, but got a slap
in the face for this. The growers
do not rule by love in this valley,
but by fear. Injustice is the or
der of the day, and men live in
want. A strike is both just and
necessary."
8,000 farmworkers manpicket lines
e On Monday morning, August 24,
UFWOC struck 27 of the 60 Sa-. linas growers: Nearly 6,000
workers stayed away from work.
The few that arrived at the fields
respected UFWOC picket lines. A
similiar . strike began against 62
growers in the Santa Maria area,
affecting 2,000 farm workers. The
growers have begun to receive ano
ther lesson in the school of social
justice. They may learn that sit
ting down with UFWOC to nego
tiate contracts is much easier than
facing the loss of the crops. It
took the grape growers five years
to learn this lesson. Have not the
lettuce growers benefitted from this
example? Only time will tell.
1
, 6jEL MALCRIADO
.,,,.!-I0W HA. Rl) You FOR. THOSE.L)SSO TO VJoR~.... PE..NMl E 5.~Q
NOW-rHAT TItll tJ I( of I-r;_ -rnEY .~~
~EVER.. youRs!
AD\OS, PAPA. c.., .
-rK ~~H( YoLl ~O R.rt~\.Sll\l~ tJ\E
TO B£: .Vnu R ~~I.. __
o 0 0 0
o 0 0 a
THAT liS il~EFoR YOu TO
tL MA/,CI?/ADOoooo,,,00.
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EL MALCRIADO/7
a better way of life for our people:'Itliong recounted the sad his
tory of Filipino farm workers inCalifornia. He mentioned that thousands of Filipinos risked their livesin the bloody campaigns of WorldWar II, and when they came homethey were denied the justice andrights they had fought to defend.The assistant dir~ctor alluded tothe vicious coalition between growers and Teamsters in Salinas andpraised the unity of the Delanomovement under the direction ofCesar Chavez.
William Kircher conveyedcongr<ttulations on behalf of President clorge Meany of the AFL-CIOto the strikers. In a telephoneconversation, Meany alluded to theproblems with the Teamsters:" •••your success and your strongsupport throughout the world hasgiven you the right to be THEunion in farm labor. It is THEwhich will continue to build a collective bargaining base for progressfor workers, and it is going toget additional support from theAFL-CIO for its endeavors:,'
Bishop Joseph Donnelly,chairman of the United States Catholic Bishops Farm Labor Committee summed up the efforts ofhis own group. "We have soughtto make recommendations whichwould bring the parties together,"he began. "We have always feltthat, given good will on the partof the growers and the union, ajust settlement could be reached,ensuring continuing prosperity forthe table grape industry and justwages and proper conditions for theworkers in the industry. We arehappy to report that we have foundgood will in our visits and talkswith union officials and more thanseventy growers:' ,
Delano grape grower JohnnyGiumarra Jr. introduced the principle grower representatives, including his father John GiumarraSr., and Mrtin Zaninovich, head ofthe South Central Farmers r
l
t
,.
pino assistan ~
"Hopefully fo . br
negotIatIons. Instead they turnedout to be most pleasant."
"The boycott is not over yet. ,About 25% or more of the growershave not yet signed contracts. Assoon as all the contracts aresigned we will turn the boycottaround and make grapes sweetagain."
Concluding his remarks,Chavez stated: "We did not wantonly to sign contracts. We wantedin~ustry peace. Both sides gave alittle during negotiations to bringabout this peace."
Larry !tliong, alluded to thebitterness of the struggle when hetold how strikers. were called outside agitators, Communists, etc."But today is the beginning of anew era on behalf of farm workersin our count
"Viva Cesar Chavez"
negotiator Irwin de Shettler. TheUFWOC team was flanked on both'sides by Delano grape growers,including the Giumarras, John Sr.and. John Jr. The press conference was chaired by Bishop JosephDonnelly of the Catholic Bishop'sFarm Labor Committee.
Cameras, rolled and clickedand reporters strained at attentionas Chavez continued: "The strikehas been long and costly for boththe employers and the· strikers.The material losses can never be,regained, but I think that despiteour unfortunate experiences, wehave created the foundation uponwhich we hope to build a verygood working relationship with thegrower community in Delano. Inour negotiations sessions we in theunion developed a decent respectfor one another. We had expeCted a lot of bitterness in these
L MALCRIADO
"The eyes ofthe world areon Delano. "left to right~
seated~ BiUKircher~ CesarChavez~ BishopDonneUy~ JohnGiumarra~ MartinZaninovich.Assistant director LarryItZiong standsbehind Cesar.
Some of the ex-strikers get a closer view ofWednesday's proceedings. Seated~ facing cam.era~ are membe~s ef UFWOC's Board of Directors~
from left: Phillip Veracruz~ Julio Hernandez~and Dolo~es Huerta. I
occasion a mutual victory,and
.ed that the farm workers would
better wages and better work
conditions under the terms of
contract. "The power of the
m and the power of the in-
try can now work together so
: we can can get a higher pro
at the market place," he stated.
lis will be of benefit to bothIfarmers and the workers.'. Referring to the new relation
6 between grape growers andWoe, Giumarra stated: "The
s of America are focused· on
ano. Can we work togethera common success? We have
~istoriC task before us. You',
farm workers, will be able to
other ,people, You did it well. , and you can damn well do
t' ell anywhere in the country.is my hope that with this firstp you can move foreward so
t we will prosper and so will
I Applause broke out as Giu
rra finished his ~peech. TheIlause grew louder as the con-I . d 'Fts were slgne •
Cesar Chavez explained the
ms of the agreement. Farm
'kers who had only receivedp an hour and fifteen cents a
during the harvest season in
5 would now receive $1.80 an hour
20, cents a box. It would be
reased to $1.95 next year and
k$2.05 an' hour in 1972. TenIs an hour would be contributed
to the health and welfare fund and
2 cents a box would be contributed to a special economic deve
lopment fund which would help work
ers face mechanization and other
problems in the future. The three
year agreement follows the patternset by other table grape contracts,
,',,'
including protective clauses on theuses of pesticides and barring lock
'outs and strikes during harvesttime.
The remaining grape growers'
who have not signed agreements
reside in northern Tulare County,
in Fresno County and in the Lodi
area Of San Joaquin County.
EL MALCRIADO/9
;a contract is signed;. ]VIVA LOS HUELGUISTAS!
,the victory is ours!
10jEL MALCRIADO
CANADA
REVELS
ON
NATIONAL
GRAPE
BOYCOTT
DAY
May 30th had beennamed as National GrapeBoycott Day in Canadaand had been endorsedby the United Churchof Canada and the Canadian Labour Congress.
With the signing ofcontracts in April andMay~ the National Dayhad an overriding atmosphere of celebPation and appreciation.
Five hundred peoplegathered on Toronto'sCentre Island onMay30th to share in anafternoon of music andgames that was the To-ronto Boycott Office'sexpression of thanksto the city's peoplefor their continuedunderstanding and support of the farm workers'struggle.
"Gracias ~ TorontoDay" began with threecarcaravans~ startingfrom different sections of the city andlead by a number ofmunicipal and provincial political figures.The caravans convergedon the Toronto waterfront where ferriestook the demonstratorsover to Centre Island~
a beautiful publicpark three miles outonto Lake Ontario.Folk~ soul and Mexicanmusic helped createthe feeling of jubiliation for the appearance of the first union Zabel grapes inToronto.
\
victory.Brief remarks from
various community~ labor~ church and political leaders and thepresentation of a framed union label to arepresentative of Toronto's Mayor recommitted the community
- to see this strugglethrough to total success.
The entertainmenthighlight of a five.ternoon was the breaking of the pinata.
Petra directed theconstruction of a fivefoot grape bunch~ eachgrape containing candyand peanuts. Combining Mexican and Canadian cultures~ the pinata ceremony~ run byAlfredo de Avila ofthe Buffalo~ N.Y. boycott~ found the Cana-
Above: Daughter of ManuelRivera proudly marches onBoycott Day.Right: Petra Saludado sam
ples the first union grapes in
Toronto, from the David Freedman Company of Coachella.
EL MALCRIADO/ll
dian youngsters usinghockey .stick and theirbest slap shot technique to free the candy.
Park officials~
cautiously uninvolvedin the physical preparation until the Mayor's office clearedciway much red tapeclaimed t~e afternoonwas one of the mostsuccessful occurancesthe island has everhosted.
In Vancouver~ PamSmith~ UFWOC BoycottDirector~ used the May30th designation tokick off the summercampaign against Safeway. Two hundred supporters formed tenpicket lines beforeadjourning to StanleyPark for a picnic.Virginia Jones of thePortland~ Oregon~ boycott joined the Vancouver celebration..
In Montreal~ JessicaGovea organized a massive roving picketline that totaled over200 at times and visited five Dominionstores~ concluding theday's activity outside~
of the Quebec divisionheadquarters. A streettheatre group traveledwith the picket lineon a flat-bed truck~
performing p: skit de-.picting economic linksbinding the growersand the supermarket.
Additional activities on the 30thwere held in the British Columbia citiesof Victoria~ PrinceGeorge~ Prince Rupert~
and Nanaimo.
Chi
hasdidlthebyNo\
· l4jEL MALCRIADO
1~,tr..::L=ik:";~=r::.."",T'"-Th-T-e"::~:"h-~"':·';"i-~-in-p-a-~-t-!-U-l-~-.,_I_K_fr-E-o-m-o-u-t-S-id-e-O-f-c-e-n-t-e-r-a-r-r-i-v-ed-a-t--s-tr-.ik-e-n-a-S-b-ee-n-g-o-m-g-o-n-fo-r-a-'J Chimself a Chicano, is directly op- the church along with Father Fred most 18 days, the strikers have notpose9 to the strike because rela- Hart and the berets from Colorado lost faith, have not given up hope,tives of his are in the fields work- Springs, Denver, and Pueblo, they but iI!-stead have become strongering as scabs. At one point he told ,found that the doors to the church and have voiced continually the ur-me that he was going to kick my had been chained shut. Takillg a gency of th~ir strike and the; needass because we were deI'(lonstrat- vote of the people, the strikers for them all to stick. together toing publicly and· he felt that I was decided to break the chains and see a victory against the lettuceto blame for it. They have also did so, and then celebrated Mass growers. Dicho - Hecho, the strikecome parading around us all the within the Church. Throughout the committee, will be inviting the en-time with guns, mace, and clubs, church services there were a good tire public of Colorado to a major
FRANK MEDINA AND CHRIS VALDEZ ENTERTAIN CENTER~ COLORADO STRIKERSDURING.A LULL IN NEGOTIATIONS.
waiting for some small incidentwhich would give them the rightto come in and hurt some of thestrikers. The strike has beenpeaceful and will continue to beunless it is, provoked by the police. In order to protect themselves from the police, the strikershave had' to form their own black
berets, who are the youths. Theseberets are being trained to protectthe strikers and the rest of theChicano community from irresponsible cops.
church chainsdo~r··~.aga~rist
strikersThis past Sunday, the strikers,
have arranged with the localpriest to have church services inthe basement of the Catholic churchhere in Center. When the strikersalong with so~e 400 sympathizers
nU,mber lJ~ cops patrolling the area,again looking for' an excuse bywhich they' could stop our church
meeting. The strikers were morethan 150, all asking for their wagesto be raised, but more so, forjustice for the Chicano farm worker.
boycott plannedDicho - Hecho, the strike com
mittee, is also planning to do ageneral boycott on lettuce and othersubsidiary companies involved withboth Lee A. Consual and Fresh-'pict, which are the major companies being picketed at the time.
on to totalvictory!
The strikers are planning to do •several other things besides La
Huelga, including food and gas cooperatives, and other communityoriented endeavors. Although the
meeting when we will have CesarChavez speaking here on the issuesof the .strike. This will be announced in the very near future.When the Chicano says, "Viva La
Huelga," it means more than "Maythe Strike Live" - it means a wayof li,fe, a way of thinking, and afJ.1tUre for all of the poor farm
workers.
ENOUGHl When the lettuce strikeis over, the enemy (the system),the toWll council, the Public Utilities Company, the grocery stores,the Gas Company, and others willchange or suffer the pains ofchangeat the hands of the now-liberated
likethelcanoffi
Chibechayof,
abo!saie(Str
tablareled
at'clai
LETTUCE WORKERS
wetback scabs
supportedby Chavez
Throughout the strike, variousChicano community leaders havecome in and offered their support.Among them have been Corky Gonzales of the Crusade for Justice,who has given both financial andphysical support. Another greatleader, the man who madethe Grape Strike most successful,Cesar Chavez, has sent both information and money and is planning
a visit to the Center in the near ..future, in order to help this strike,Efforts are being made to makeCenter the Local No.3 of Cesar'sUnited Farm Workers Union.·
EL MALCRIADOjl3Lettuce workers went out
on strike on June 2, and have beenon strike ever since, to try to
get their wages raised. The wagesfor field hands are $1.40 an hourand $1.50 for supervisors. Thestrikers are now asking for raisesof $2.00 and $2.50 respectively. Inorder to formalize their efforts,they have formed a farm. workersorganization called Dicho - Hecho,(Said - Done). Their presidentis Reynaldo Campos, a local farmworker.
One of the major problems withinthe strike is the great number ofwetbacks or illegal immigrants whohave been continually brought in to
do the farm work that the strikershave left behind. There are veryfew local farm workers still working and most of the people whoare scabs are either wetbacks orpeople from outside of the Centerarea.
cops seenas threat
Another major problem for thestrikcrs has been the police and thesheriff. The Center police in
S' Li"e, d1,Q haVE; ",up,,". Leu andh .ve shown pre~en..nce 0 . Ie! growe' as opposed to the Chicano
f~i •
FARN WORKERS OF COLORADO ARE ON STRIKE AGAINST T.'REE' '{PICT FOODS. SHCRE ME,lBERS OF DICHO - HECHO~ OlrLINDA DE VARGA[ ~ BiLLY CT{AVEZ~ LEN.
REVOLT IN COLORADOOn June 2~ 1970~ lettuce workers in Center~ Colorado walkedoff two large corporation farms forunion recognition anda better way of life.
They formed an organization called Dichoy Hecho. Like theDelano strikers~ theyhave been endlesslyharassed by the localpower structure~ headed by.the law enforcement agencies andtown officials. Theiremployers scoffed atthem and claim t~ey
don't represent workers. Strikebreakerswere brought in fromother parts of thesouthwest~ but thestrike goes on.
Magdaleno Avila worked for the ColoradoRural Legal Assistance before joiningthe lettuce strikersthis year as a fulltime organizer. Thefollowing are excerpsfrom two articles onthe lettuce strike hewrote for the BoulderExpress magazine.
12jEL MALCRIADO
'i
ammonia, and Brilla steel wool.Only through an effective boycottcan we hurt these lettuce companies. The strikers are also in needof much food and money in order
to stay on strike.While many speak of freedom
for all men, very few do anythingabout it. While many say they hatethe system, too few do anythingto change it. If a person sayssomething then he should live upto it. Such is the name of thestrike organization, Dicho - Hecho(Said - Done).
Each day we wait for our victory. Each day we get stronger.Each day we question more thesystem and its unequal methods.And yet we love each "'her more
~~oeLG4;",r
that they don't get out of povertybecause they don't pull themselves
up by the bootstraps; if a manhas no boots, he thus cannot pullany boot straps. Today in Center,people are pressured by the establishment because they have goneon strike, they are pushed out ofhomes, they have their electricityshut off, their credit suddenly goesbad, and the system still preaches
equality and justice for all. EqualitY and justice you can have -only if your skin is the propercolo!; and if you have a wallet fullof credit cards and check books.
a plea forsupport
The lettuce strikers are onlyseeking a wage increase but weask that our supporters boycott forus and help us win this strike.First of all we must eliminatethe forbidden fruit - lettuce. Then:we must stop buying some of theproducts made by the mother companies, Purex. Purex is the mothercompany of the FreshPick FruitFoods, Inc. They make Beads0-Bleach, Dutch Cleanser, Bo-Peep
\
\\
LEROY TORRES~ DENNIS
bootstraps,and all that
~
ON THE PICKET LINE:GARCIA~ BERT ,GARCIA
strikers areunite1d'
Chicanos.
The sheriff of Saguache Countyhas_ been labeled a •. sell-out vendido' by his own people. He putthe noose around his own neckby opposing the Lettuce Strike. By'November he wili find himself just
like the strikers - jobless - andthen he will understand what Chicano Power means. .Other electedofficials are carefully studying theChicano unity that has come aboutbecause of the strike. Businesseshave suffered a serious reductionof volume business.
The entire community is worriedabout alleged communist~,who aresaid to be spear-heading the Huelga(Strike). None of tho;e in the Es
tablishment understand that theyare at fault for the conditions whichled to the protests, demonstration".
at last revolutions. They keep'classes of people in poverty and say
i
r
.'\ ..
When Ben Aparicio walked· qff the job at.'. Fillmore and"piru ·Citrus Association, h~ was. doing some unfipished business,' The:M-year. old .farm worket' was leading 210 striking citru~
". workers "who had grievances against citrus
: ..growers that reached back for decades. Aparicio.·~nd his workers were reviving .one of the bit-"t;erest agricultural strikes in California historywhich occured in Fillmore and San~ Paulain 1941.
.):., Fillmore -sits in the, heart of Ventura
~~~~, ~~~";finm:es::m~,:~~nv:.;r:; :;:.
. .. ~.
confused with the Santa ara Valley in the
north of California): The 1941 strike was ,crushed by "the Al:>"o~iated Farmers, the FarmBureau, and the State Chamber of Commerce.Farm workers were ejected from companyhousingand labor camps and had to live :like animalsin tents and under bridges.. Pickets were
'arrested and tightly organized' grower groupsvowed to "fight to the finish" and to recruitlabor from all possible sources to replace
striker's. - The Federal Farm ~eclfI'ityAdministration and the State Relief Administration wereheavily criticized by growers for offering re-
EL. MALCRIADOjl7
of lemons in the county, 3500 acres were con,.trolled by the family of Charles Collins. Teague.Teague and a handful of other large growerscontrolled then, as they do now, most of theacreage and the political power in the area;."The Ventura County lemon pickers," c.on~nue~
Meany, "although their employers do not legally own their bodies, lead lives tha.t havebeen likened to slaves. Their wages are mi-
serable. . They live in squalid shacks, and areexploited at the company store. After deductions were rriade from one worker's paycheck,
all he had was 18 cents!"Meany described how 1500 workers walked
out on stri~e in January of 1041 and formed. the Citrus Workers Union, Local 22342, to wage
their battle for a better life. The responseof the lemon magnates was typical, accordingto Meany. "We won't stand for any unions 1
.'
GROWERS DUMPTRUCKLOADSOF LEMONSRATHERTHAN DEALWITH THEUNIONIN :rHE1941STRIKE
ISSTRIKEA-," .,
entitled: Peonage in California (American Federationist, May, 194~). Meany wrote: "ManyAmericans think that, peonage in· America is athing of the pa.st•. · Don't you believe it. Youwinced at the scenes in the novel,'Grapes ()fWrath'. The same oppression, the same abuses,the same harrowing conditions exist in a partof sunny Sou.thern· California called Ventura
County:'Meany explained. that of the 22,000 acres
1941 :GROWERS:LISHED
THISCAMP
FORTHE
SCABS;STRIKERS
WERE, EVICTED
lief to strikers ~l)c{ tbeir families. The strikewas finally put. doWn by the ruthless powerof the grower block, but the spirit of the workers
was never broken.One of the .reporters on the scene during
the 1941 strike was: George Meany, now. thePresident of the AFL:"CIO. At that time hewas the secretary-treasurer of the A.F. of L.and wrote an article on' the Ventura citrus strike,
..around here. Unionism in Ventura County is win because they are so clearly in the right."
out," the employers shouted. Teague told Ben Aparicio, now president of the United
growers: "We cannot and must not accede to Farm Workers Local of Fillmore, finds the same
the union's demands. It would be better for stubborness with the field bosses and super-
us to let the fruit on the trees drop to the visors of the F & P Association twenty-nine
ground than to grant their demands." years later. Fred Pryce, an F & P spokesman,
The authorities at Ventura Junior College broke a promise to issue the strikers a writtenendorsed scabbing on the part of the students., response to their demands. The workers' de-
Other strikebreakers were brought in from the mands centered around a fixed price for piece .
midwest, but only damaged the crop, since they rate work. The workers reported that they'were
were inexperienced pickers. Meany concluded: being short-changed on the boxes of oranges
"I saw conditions that were barbarous and they picked. "They tell you that they will pay
shocking. But what impressed me most was you 26¢ a box at the beginning of the week,"
the indomitable courage of these workers in Aparicio stated. "Then when you. get paid,
,'- race n "--err:e, ldve:-sity•••..Vlen \TId women you find ypu're -:;nly getting 2S¢ a box. They
hes( pirited~-_...w,;;,.:,or:;.;k;,;.e::r;.;s=-::je:::'J::e:.:r:v;~·e:...:to=- __a_r_e_r_o:.;b:.;b:..i_n,:;g_u:..s.,.;!_"__'_':,:It:,,-:t..ak:..:.:.e.:..s:..:.:.fo:.:r:.:e:..;v:.:e~r.....:t:.::.o-.::.g:.:e..:.t_
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A STRIKE IS REVIVED
BENAPARICIO~·
LEFT~
LEADER OFTHE19?0FILLMORE&PIRUCITRUSSTRIKE~
HOLDS UPA LISTOFFARMWORKERS'DEMANDS
•• •IllOg 10 (cuador
Five years ago orgamzmg ef
forts to better the campesinos'
wage and living conditions began.These workers were not onlythumbed under by ranchers, but also
by a government which discrimi
nated against the poor, and a so
ciety which completely ignored
them.No, this isn't the Delano farm
workers huelga in 1965.
This is Ecuador's social re
volution led by the Fundacion Bre}
thren Unida, an interdenominational
Organnon-profit organization which has,so far, survived where other 1
social movement
Ecuador.
Franklin
utive secretar
is an intense
rimmed glasse
ing black eyes.
United States 0
ganizing and th
Canelos visite
Canelos discovere
farm workers' union is a
the Ecuadorian movement becaus
theirs is still in the beginning
stage.
'j'We need to learn from you.
We need more information about
your work -- your problems -because it's possible -to practice
it in Ecuador,' he said.He asked us several questions,
one oi'which was how we felt about
Ernesto "Che" Guevarra.
One of the staff members ans
wered that Che's philosophy was
humanistic, but that the man had
been built into ~omethiiJ.g he wasn't,a legend.
Cahelos replied, "The old
people thought he was a thief. The
young thought him a symbol' of
liberation against North American
imperialism. I personally believe
with the young.'
The young labor organizer was
born in a poor Quito fe-mily and
went to school with poor Indians,
"serfs of the city." During his
school career, Canelos felt a needto help and serve the Indian and
his almost hopeless situation.
"When I went to the univer
sity, I studied economic-science to
learn the situatio~ of my people,and now I want to better the si
tuation," he stated.
Ecuadbrian campesinos earn 50
work day
ago th
ted, chan
the people'
the people"
people, of w
felt the need
own participatio
would directly af
"I don't like
people, who aren't
munity, come to hel
out using their ideas,
this program to solve
sinos' problems,' Cane
He continued,' 'I feel
cessary to talk with the
and listen to their problems.is when the program is necessa
- because it deals with what the
EL MALCRIADOjll
campesino himself needs, and how
it's possible to work progra.rnswith campesino participation."
Can there be non-violence i
Ecuador's social labor movement?
In a dictatorship where the
army is called to stop strikes
or any other disturbance agains ,
the government, non-violence is im- .possible, Canelos explained. But
he continued, the government ,i.
aware of the movement's organi'
zing activities but have refused ,}
recognize the organization. Thj,
non-recognltlOfl is advantageoll.s to
movement because no military
een made to stop it.
,ent doesn't recog
ent, then there is
quash.
agrarian economy
lyon bananas, which
by an elite segment
y, rich Ecuadorian!'
North Americans.
ans, Canelos said,
r's imports.
tice of heavy money
on on top trikling downdia'sses is from U.S;
ent Herbert' Hoover'se down policy" of the 1930' s,
would be subsidized to bu- .es from the government and
as hoped this money would e
tually "trikle down' to the wor'
s through their wage.If three million carnpesinos.
ith the life expectancy of 50 years,
an only earn 50 cents a ~daYl fOI8 or 9 hours work, then s1:lve' la
bor can't be denied. Has any
one tried to help the carnpesin,'Ibefore? What about the Peace
Corps?"I think they're resting," Ca
nelos charged. "Only work;.ng with
. rich farmers or not working at aLi
They're JUSt on vacation.•.. 'Ylan'.eople don't like the Peac(- Corp
in Ecuador,"
l2/EL MALCRlADO
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THE FARM,:WORKER MUST
.~ j
ORGANIZEBy William Kircher
third ~n a series
NATION TO,
BARGAINING
OUR SYSTEM, BUTBETWEE,I\I FARMOTHER WORKERS?
IS IT RIGHT FOR THIS
CONSIDER COLLECTIVE
AS A P'ART OFTO DRAW A LINE
WORKERS AND ALL
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HUFWOC IS A RELENTLESS FORCE BIIT IS RIGHT, BECAUSE 11-
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There are two ways in whichthe question of the propriety ofunionism among farm workers canbe put. It can be placed on astrictly,moral basis. In otherwords, is it right for this nationto consider collective bargaining asa part of our system, as it does,and to encourage its 'usage in such
a manner as to strengthen thefiber of our economy and con
tribute to our system, but to drawa line between farm workers andall other workers?
Obviously, the case can besettled at this point. There can beno justification for the doublestandard of benefits where American workers are concerned.
But beyond that, there are thosewho would like to talk of whetheror not there is a NEED for union-
ism among farm workers.Farm workers still rank low
est in annual income of all ournation's occupational groups. Inall sectors of the non-farm economy, and in every state, the average hourly earnings of productionworkers are above farm wagerates. It is of great significanceto note that the gap between agr~cultural and non-agricultul:'alearnings has ,continually widened'since World War II, a period oftime when the impact of free col
lective bargaining on wage ratesin those unionized segments of the,work force has been the greatest.
Figures from the U. S. Department of Agriculture as late asJanuary, 1969, show rates in late1968 from a low of $1.00 per houraverage in South Carolina to a little
over $1.70 hourly average in Conneticut, California, and Washington.The national average in late 1968was $1.43 per hour as against anational average for non agricul
tural employment of $2.93. Thecrucial economic factor for farm
workers however is the matter ofyearly earnings•
A study by the Economic Research Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, IIA Socio
Economic Pro"file of the 1965 FarmWage Force," deals with the question of "Annual Earnings":
"Because of the low wagerates and short work yearcharacteristic _ of agricultural
employment, the average hiredfarmworker in 1965 earned farmwages of only $650 for 85days of farmwork. This fi-
I
gure does not represent totalearnings, nor does it includeany income from self-employ
ment."Even when wages from all
sources 'are totaled for theyear, the average farm workerwas still a low wage earner.Persons employed in boththe farm and nonfarm economyaveraged $1,486 at all jobs in1965, or nearly twice the earnings of those doing farmwork
only ($805). Not only, weredaily nonfarm wages higher thandaily farm wages, but the average worker with some nonfarmexperience was employed for alonger period at all jobs thanthe person who did farmworkonly. In addition, the nonfarmwork during the year was oflonger duration than the farmwork and consequently producedthe larger share of the year'stotal wages."
The study comments on the"Family Income" of farm workers.
"Farmworkers are poor, notonly because their wages arelow compared with wages ofother Americans, but becausethe total amount of money available 'to them and to mem
bers of their families also fallsbelow the national average. In1965, the 3.1 million personswho did hired farmwork livedin families whose total incomefor the year, from all sources,averaged $2900. In the sameyear, the family income of allAmericans averaged $6,000.
"Some farmworkers do farebetter financially than the average, however. About one-tenthof all farm workers in 1965had family incomes of $7500and above. This was in sharpcontrast to the one-tenth whose
family incomes fell below $1,000for the year."The manner in which farm wages
have lagged cannot be unrelated tothe fact that it has been the onlysegment of predominately unskilledand semi-skilled labor in the national work force which has not hadthe benefit of collective bargaining.
Beyond the wage question is thefact that agricultural workers havebeen excluded from the whole rangeof social reforms achieved in thiscountry over two generations. For
example:Farm workers suffer more than
any other group from recurringperiods of unemployment and un
deremployment, yet they are noteligible for jobless benefits any-
"The boycott isthe onlyeffectiveorganizationaldeviceremaining."
where, except in Hawaii, PuertoRico and the District of Columbia.Every major job classification inindustry is covered by unemployment insurance except farm work.
Farm labor is one of the morehazardous occupations, yet farmworkers are fully covered by workmans' compensation in only 14states. In about half the statesthey are not protected at all.
Farm wages are the lowest ofany group in the labor force, butit was not until 1966 that farmworkers were included under 'the
EL MALCRIADO/13
Fair Labor Standards Law. Evennow, farm workers are not accorded equality with other workerscovered. Their wage floor is 30cents an hour lower and, until thelaw is changed, it can go nohigher. Besides that, only 2 percent of the nation's farms are affected by the existing legislation.
Finally, farm workers are largely outside the scope of the SocialSecurity system, yet they have noother means to provide against oldage, or for their families if theydie or become disabled.
There are other shocking injustices. Child labor, outlawedeverywhere in the land, is stillcommon in agriculture, and in factapologists for the big farm exploiters are callous enough to haqthis injustice as an asset to society. Free public schools are
often unavailable to the children
of migrant farm workers.There are ,47 states with wage
payment laws to aid workers incomplaints and collections for wages
due and unpaid. Only 10 of thosestates, however, make any provi
sion to extent this protection tofarm wor-kers.
It wasn't until 1964 that a FarmLabor Contractors Registration Actwas passed and even then so poor
l~ funded that as late as 1968its national field staff was limited
to five professional employees. Atleast 40 states have no state lawsin this area of critical need.
No intelligent person could lookat that list of inequalities and holdout much hope for the farm workers'plight being improved by "external"forces. If there is one thing thefarm worker has come to know,it is the old lesson that "Godhelps those who help themselves" ....and American trade unionism is thegreatest self-help program for economic - social - cultural improve
ment ever invented.
E BECAUSE OF THE NEED, BECAUSEE IT IS WELL LED."
______~ ~~~J, ~~ ~~ ~~
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(', 14/EL MALCRIADO
the boycott ro all fresh grapes.There is no question of the
fact that the boycott is hurtingthe growers. Some have admittedit. Others attempt to mmlmizeits effect. Shipping records andother statistics, when compared toprevious nonboycott seasons, show
that the impact is severe.The union does not resort to
the boycott by choice. It is notan endeavor that is pleasant forthe workers. The unfortunate facts
of life are that the boycott, under present circumstances, is the
only effective organizational device remaining.
The lack of any orderly procedure, backed upby law, for the questionof representation to be decided, leaves workers withonly two alternatives. They
can for:get. about organiZing and having a unionor they can go on striketo force the employer torecognize their union•
In any area of theUnited States that is within350 miles of the Mexicanborder, this means thatwithin 24 - 48 hours,the struck fields will berepopulated with workersshipped in by bus and
truck from the Mexican border. In manr cases these workers will be actual illegal entrants. In other cases, they willbe. holders of visas called "greencards", obtained under the pretext
of their wanting to establIsh residence in the United States but withno intention of ever follOWingthrough on that promise. The immigration policies of this government have deteriorated to the pointwhere this flagrant abuse is carriedout without any meaningful interference.
Added to thIS' is the situationwhere, in an agrkulwrally dominated community, Ipcal courtS and
problems and the minor ones aren't
bothering us' •The DiGiorgio Company, one
of the companies where UFWOChad won a contract in 1966, hadcommenced selling its properties
following the union victory. In the'Times article, the DiGiorgio president said, "the union contractwas not a factor in the company'ssale of the land." The unorganized growers, trying to discreditthe union, had charged that it was.
It is clear that the uniongrowth has been beneficial to the
workers without .. destrOying' thecompanies.
For over two years the union'sorganizational effort has been in theform of a national boycott against
table grapes. It started after theAugust 5, 1967 strike, against theGiumarra Corporation, had beenbroken through the use of illegaland "green card" labor. At firstthe boycott was directed againstGiumarra. However, when the uniondiscovered that numerous "competitors" of the Giumarra Corporation were making their labels available to Giumarra to frustratethe boycott, the union was leftwith no alternative but to apply
~~Viewed
from the standardof pastaccomplishmentsthe unionhas done much..I•
i that while the union had raisedI wages considerably, "so far, we! have resolved all of our major
'. '
Not only are farm workersri, going to continue to build their~lr< union, but they are going to do it
using whatever effective legal organizational devices available to
, . them. In that respect they will
be no different than other union~, ists in other union beginnings.
Since September 1965, when thegrape strike in Delano, Californiastarted, the union has moved ahead. Viewed from the standard
_ of past accomplishments it has
:' Clone mUCh. Viewed from the stand~. point of what remains to be done,':. it has hardly scratched the
surface.It has forced re-
cognlOon with the big~., gest California grape com;;', panies throl<gh elections,-{. card checks, and boy-
- c' cott pressure. Contracts.l[ prOVide health and safety
;rL prOVisions, vacations and:-.: holidays, health-welfare
programs, seniority pro.: '. visions for job protection
.''<' and upgrading, overtime-'., provisions, checkoff pro-
viSIOns for credit unions,,', and other standard pro-_~..' visions. 111ere are griev
." ance procedures, pro-visions for arbitration,
,.; methods for determining
'r piece and incentive rates, and a'.: no-strike clause in every contract.
Growers still resisting theunion in mid-68 charged that companies were suffering "chaos" on
their farms because of the union.The Los Angeles Times investi-
r gated this, talked to the unionized~ growers, aI'.d in a story by Times; Labor Editor, Harry Bernstein, on: December 16, 1968, printed denials: of the charges. One company de: clared openly that "it is unfairi to say that this is not a respon':i sible union" while another admitted
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" ~l ---------------------------------------1l'UFWOC LEADERSHIP LOOKS FOR TRECOGNIZED AS A HELPFUL PART a
...Viewedfrom the standpoint
of what remainsto be done,
it has hardlyscratched
the surface."
MR. KIRCHER IS THENATIONAL DIRECTOR()F ORGANIZING FORTHE AFL-CIO. WETHANK HIM FOR THEUSE OF THIS ARTICLE. WHICH FIRSTAPPEARED IN "THEFARM QUARTERLY'!.
union.
It is a relentless force be
cause of the need, because it isright and because it iswell led. It is suc~
ceeding and it will suc-ceed more and moreeach year.
The leadership looksfor the day when it willbe recognized as a helpful part of the total com-munity, so that tflt,
strength that it nas canalso he lent to goodcauSe's beyond the immediate purposes of the unionin the field of wages,hours, and conditionsfor its members.
The sooner the restof the community realizes that a farmworker union can reallybe a good thing foreveryone, the sooner
EL MAL<;;RIADO/IS
are sometimes found helping thefarm worker programs. Some callit a religious movement because thebanner of the Virgin of Guadalupeis in nearly every procession.
The leadership, Chavez andItliong particularly, smile at allof this. They know what UFWOCis. It is a union, and the thingsthat they do are things that mustbe done at this time to build that
reason will prevail and progressfor all will occur.
which the farm workers' union is
blessed.Headed by Cesar Chavez, the
union has the benefit' of leader
ship from a man who is extremely
bright, unswervfngly dedicated andextremely tough and courageous.He is a selfless man who can findalmost superhuman energy to bringto this effort only because of thedepth of his belief and dedication.Teamed with him is a Filipinofarm worker, Larry Itliong, cut ofthe same bright, tough organi-
zational cloth. Both of them understand unionism. 'Both of themknow that the future of their move
ment, and tlIerefore the brighmessof the farm workers' future, existsin the field Qf union attainmeqt.
Some adversaries call it a"social movement" because partof the program includes consumercooperatives, credit unions and medical clinics. Some adversarieslabel it a \"civil rights" movementbecause it concerns itself 'with the
.problems of discrimination which
its members face. Some call ita "hippie" movement because students with long hair and beards
police do not tend to' be sympathetic to farm workers' organizational endeavors. Given the"alien" labor problem, the courtsaI!d power structure, successfulstrikes become remote possibili
ties.It is for this reason that the
workers turn to the boycott, inorder to take advantage of thestrength of the millions of brother
and sister' trade unionists all overthis land and in other nations, calling
upon the general public to supporttheir cause by withholding their purchasesof fresh grapes.
In this respectthey have the total commitment from the American Labor Movement. George Meany,the President of theAFL-CIO, has for many,many years been knownas one of the nation's
staunchest advocates of
farm labor unionism. Hehas been personally involved in many of theorganizational struggles in the West. Inthe current effort he hastestified before everymajor, legislative committee which has heldhearings on this subject.
Since UFWOC was formed,there have been two national con-ventions of AFL-CIO. In each ofthese, standing, unanimous approvalwas given t6 resolutions calling fortotal support for the farm workerorganizing effort, and in each instance Meany pledged to the leadership of the farm workers unendingaid and support. '
With all there is to examinein this matter, nothing is a morecritical factor in what has beenaccomplished and what remains tobe accomplished than the tremendous indiginous leadership with
OR THE DA'y WHEN IT WILL BE,RT OF THE TOTAL COMMUNITY."
Emiliano Zapata(black on red)
NAMEADDRESSCI TY__':-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-S-=-=T=-A:-::T::":E=- - _-_-_-~-Z-IP-_-_-_-_-=
r~---------~-------------------~
I EL MALCRIADO II II P. O. BOX 130' J~ DELANO, CA rr 93215 fJ. ,
: Please send me the foUowing: !I copies HUELGA @$1.50 each II posters of CESAR CHAVEZ @$1. 50 each 1I posters of EMILIANO ZAPATA @$1.50 eachI p~qters of PANCHO VILLA @ $1.50 each: ~ ~riptions to EL MALCRIADO @$3.50.,IJ
III~-------~--------~-------------~
OLD FROM EL MALCRIADO
ALL POSTERS $1.50 each~ plus259 postage and handling. 5copies for $5.25.
FIRST 100
THE GREAT DELANO GRAPE STRIKE
Cesar Chavez(full color)
:.-.:..~·~~.7:.~:::~:~:;~~~.:~:~~.::~:·::::~:.. '''~._ ......"' o~··... -_ - ..••• ' ...... ' •••• ' ~I••••"',,.,,'•••••"0' _ •
.~\~..::::i?;;:.:::o~:::_,:.~:.~. ':~;,.:::. ~=..:..:~:-~ :0;
, Posters of Emiliano Zapataand Pancho Villa with thebanner ('~headUne "VIVA LAREVOLUCION." 17" x 23".
l"--------,----~
POSTERS OFVILLA, "l-APATA, CHAVEZ
NEW FROM EL MALCRIADO
r---------~~ Full-color~ glossy posterof farm worker leader CesarChavez~ with the campesinosof Schenley Ranch. 17"x23".
-HUELGAI - by Eugene Nelson remains the finest account yet pUblishedon the early days of the Delano grape strike. Nelson was a picket line Captain(and later led ,the Union drive to organize ¢e melop fields of South Texas)and writes with intimate knowledge of the origins and beginnings of the strike.Nelson also includes a' brief biography and interviews with Cesar Chavez, andother Union leaders, and a history of the National F.arm Workers Association,the predecessor of the United Farm Workers OrganiZing Committ~e. (160pages, with 11lustrations b¥ George Ballis and others. In English only. $1.50).
l6/EL MALCRIADO
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