Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers Union - Research Paper Example

Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers Union Introduction: "Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them". (Foster, 1997, Quote Act II, Scene V). Cesar Chavez (1927-1993) belongs to the second category. Throughout his trade union career spanning over three to four decades, he was not afraid of anything, within the complicated environment of uniting the workers. He resisted doggedly the machinations of the management and secured justice and better wages for the workers of his union. He has been hailed as one of the most important labor organizers of the second half of the 20th century. He did not subscribe to the view of the extreme left trade unions (influenced by the Marxist/Communist philosophy) that the management is the sworn enemy and the workers should engage in a permanent war with it. He was a reformer activist, and he greatly valued the American democracy. He raised critical questions related to the labor movement and found his novel answers for them. Apart from getting direct benefits to his workers through clever and strategic negotiations, he made impact on the Chicano population and the leaders of the world trade union movement looked forward to him with admiration for his accomplishments. Trade unionism was in his blood: The first and the foremost quality of a trade union leader is that he can not tolerate injustice. Cesar Chavez was born in a family that suffered injustice and humiliation for generations. He recalls his childhood memories thus: “My grandfather escaped from the Hacienda del Carmen, one of the biggest haciendas in Chihuahua, Mexico, in the 1880s. His name was Cesario, but he was known as Papa Chayo, and he was just trying to flee injustice….On the hacienda, they were slaves. The moment a baby is born, they would give him a tag and start keeping a book on him of all his expenses. By the time the child grew old enough to start working, he already was sold, and he already owned a lot of money.”(Elutin, 2007, p.7) The wise saying goes, ‘Behind every successful man, there is a wise woman.’ This assertion is 100% true in the life of Cesar Chavez. Researchers and biographers of Cesar Chavez have mentioned this fact, but failed to highlight the importance of the level of his wife’s contribution. If a short answer is to be given to the question-who made Cesar Chavez a great trade union leader, it is simple and straightforward—his wife Helen Fabela! We shall discuss more about her contribution, in the later part of the paper. How ordinary men become extraordinary—study the life of Cesar. When one is suppressed at every stage of life, socially as well as economically, one shapes into a submissive person, tolerates whatever comes to one’s lot without protest, or becomes a rebel! He may even become vindictive against the society that ill-treated him. But Chavez chose the middle path and investigated the root causes of the problems and found solutions. His childhood sufferings influenced his process of thinking very strongly. He says, “But we inherited the poverty from our fathers and fathers from our grandfathers and our grandfathers from their fathers. We had to stop someplace.” (Elutin, p. 4). Many tried to organize the Farm Workers of America, before Cesar went on with his task, but they all were browbeaten and utterly defeated. Cesar recalls, “It was a sad history of defeat after defeat, strikes smashed with violence, the government in league with the growers, police helping to bring in scabs.”(Elutin, p.4) Cesar on his mission of trade unionism: Discrimination in farms bothered him intensely, and viewing it from the personal angle, he tried to be away from it. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’—but was it true as for Cesar? He joined Navy but soon he experienced that human tendencies were the same everywhere. He was disgusted with the ethnic hatred there as well-but for outward appearance Navy was such an august organization, serving the cause of the Nation. Individuals with the gun, pen or money were the same as for attitudes, he was sorry to observe. After the discharge from the Navy, he returned to his first love -out of necessity-the fields. The conditions of the migrant workers in America were pitiable from all counts. The back-breaking work, pittance of compensation, inhuman living conditions, pesticides used for farming affecting their health, and with no one to listen to their grievances! How would Cesar initiate his work under such grim circumstances? He turned to the only alternative for the human being—spirituality. He began to work for a social service agency in California, and a priest there bolstered up his spirits and told him the achievements of great figures like M.K. Gandhi of India, whose weapon to fight against all sorts of injustice, in some cases worst than that of the Farm Workers of America, was non-violence! He understood the true meaning of non-violence, it was not a meek surrender before the one who perpetrated injustice—that was a dynamic surrender to the never-say-die human spirit! Caesar later says about the concept of non-violence and how he translated it in to the practical world, “But in seeking social change, I am positive non-violence is the way, morally and tactically, especially in our society where those in power resort to clubs, tear gas, and guns. I have seen non-violence work many times in many ways. When we organized California’s vineyards, for example, it was the growers’ violence, their manipulation of the police and the courts, that helped win support for our cause.”(Elutin, p.5) The meeting with the priest and the mention of M. K. Gandhi’s name was the turning point in the life of Caesar. His labor activism attained national and international fame. His other idol was Martin Luther King, Jr. For thirty-three long years from 1960s until his death in 1993, he was instrumental in launching strikes, hunger strikes, marches and secured concessions for the farm workers from the big growers. Their pay packets and working/living conditions improved. The leaders of the movement led by him lobbied Congress on behalf of the farm workers, with fructifying results. But the road to success was paved with road-blocks of all sorts. Growers and police were brutal as usual, death threats poured, government surveillance on his activities increased, he was arrested and put behind the bars on many occasions. His indomitable courage saw him through all the grim situations and he finally emerged victorious, legally and morally. The prelude—the hard realities: The United Farm Workers Union was beginning to take shape within his mind. Swindling the helpless labor class was the way of life for dishonest Anglos. His father was methodically swindled in a transaction by the scheming Anglos and had to face lots of financial and mental agonies. This left a painful scar in the mind of young Cesar. When his father settled in San Jose, he sent his children to school in a desperate bid to get out of the rut of poverty. The teachers in the school were mostly Anglo and Spanish was forbidden in the school. He was once punished with a ruler to his knuckles for rule violation. Often those speaking Spanish had to face racist remarks. Certain areas and facilities prominently displayed the sign boards, ‘Whites Only.’ He, along with his brother attended thirty-seven schools. When academic education was denied to him due to economic and racial factors, he entered the college of ‘self-education, where his mind was his Principal; his initiatives his Professors; his hard work his tutors! The direct exposure to the harsh realities of life, made education his passion in the later part of his life as a trade unionist. His Office in La Plaz (United Farm Worker Headquarters) is full of books on subjects like co-operatives, trade unions, economics, philosophy, sociology and biographies of Gandhi and the Kennedys. He believed that devotion to the people (workers) is devotion to the Supreme Self. In paragraph 3 of this paper mention is made about Helen Fabela. Cesar married her in 1948, and they had eight children eventually. Later in life, when Caser resigned his regular job to do trade union work on full-time basis, it is Helen who gave him unstinted support. A lady with the responsibility to look after eight children giving support to her husband, putting the family interests in dire straight, is a great example of feminine courage and grit, which one does not come across in history books quite often. The birth of United Farm Workers: The year 1962 was important in the trade union movement in America. Caesar finally accepted the call of the cause, and National Farm Workers Association was founded. Dolores Huerta joined him. Later his organization became United farm Workers-the UFW. Recalling his experience about support that came to his activities steadily, he says, “I remember with strong feelings the families who joined our movement and paid dues long before there was any hope of winning contracts. Sometimes, fathers and mothers would take money out of their meager food budgets just because they believed that farm workers could and must build their own union. I remember thinking then that with spirit like that... we had to win. No force on earth could stop us."(UFW: The official….) The unstoppable Cesar Chavez—the ascendancy: In 1952, when Community Organizer Fred Ross noticed a young farm worker doing hard labor in apricot orchards outside San Jose, Calif, he did not have the faintest idea that he was recruiting the future founder of United Farm Workers into his Community Service Organization(CSO). From 1952-1962, he experienced the harsh realities of doing social service and together with Fred Ross, organized 22 CSO chapters in California in the 1950s, which shaped into the most militant Latino civil rights groups. Latinos began to be counted; they became citizens, registered voters, faced police brutality, and civic amenities like paved streets and other improvements were secured for the people. This had great impact and Cesar became the popular figure in the community. On 31st March 1962, Cesar created history. That was a unique style to celebrate his birthday as well. He resigned from CSO, moved to Delano with his wife and eight children to commence full-time work of organizing farm workers. It took just six more months for him to organize the first convention of National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) in Fresno, Calif. His unique style of working attracted the attention of the workers. He was an affectionate family man also. Often baby-sitting his young children, he drove from farm to farm and covered dozens of farm towns, and initiated the membership campaign to build the union from the scratch. This process continued for 3 long years, from 1962-1965. In 1965, the Delano Grape Strike began. “By 1965 Chicanos—Mexican Americans—would call that movement simply, la causa, the cause to change how farm workers were treated. The cause, also, to change how all Mexican Americans were treated in small rural towns and in larger cities! “iViva la causa!” would become the chant of the farm worker.”(Soto, 2003, p.4) In March-April 1966, America saw a new type of movement, comparable to the famous Dandi Salt March of M.K. Gandhi, against the British Empire in India. It was a campaign of non-violent protest against the salt tax in colonial India, which began on March 12, 1930 and concluded on April 6, 1930. Gandhi broke salt laws in Dandi. This sparked off large scale acts of civil disobedience by millions of Indians. Now, for this form of protest, Cesar and a group of strikers embarked upon a 340-mile Peregrination (Pilgrimage) from Delano. The final destination was the state Capitol in Sacramento. This created national sensation and provided high voltage publicity to the trade union ventures of Cesar. Buckling under the pressure, Schenley Vineyards negotiated an agreement with NFWA—this was the first legal union contract between a vineyard grower and farm workers union. Caser had created history to re-write the destiny of farm labor. By 1966, Cesar had reached bigger horizons. The boycott of the struck DiGiorgo Fruit Corp forced the giant company to election among its workers. At the same time, it played the usual management trick of divide and rule. The company patronized Teamsters Union to oppose NFWA. Cesar countered the move by forming a United Farm Workers and the Filipino American AWOC merged with Caesar’s Union. DiGiorgio workers voted for the UFW. By 1967, Cesar was confronting the largest table grape grower, Giumarra Vineyards Corp. When the products of this grower were boycotted, other grape owners came to the rescue of Giumarra to use their labels. The UFU retaliated by boycotting of all California table grapes. Strikes at different farm-locations continued against the grape owners in the state. Grape owners’ doggedness to break the unity of the workers, escalated the issue further, and the state level problem became the national issue. The inspired workers under the leadership of Cesar fanned across North America to observe an international boycott. Millions of Americans supported the farm workers’ cause. America shook! In February-March 1968, Cesar undertook a fast for 25 days to rededicate his movement to non-violence. By now he was a national figure and U. S. Senator Robert Kennedy joined 8,000 farm workers and other supporters at a mass where Cesar broke his fast. He addressed Cesar as “one of the heroic figures of our time.” By 1970, Cesar was in complete control of unions in most of the table grape owners’ farms and they signed UFW contracts. But efforts to divide the workers by encouraging rival unions continued. To wean away the influence of the UFW from the California lettuce and vegetable fields, Growers in Salinas Valley signed contracts with the Teamsters Union. This was met with stiff resistance from the workers and about 10,000 Central Coast farm workers retaliated by walking out on strike. To put more pressure on the owners and the authorities, Cesar appealed for a nationwide boycott of lettuce. Cesar declared, "The road to social justice for the farm worker is the road of unionization. Our cause, our strike against table grapes and our international boycott are all founded upon our deep conviction that the form of collective self-help, which is unionization, holds far more hope for the farm worker than any other single approach, whether public or private. This conviction is what brings spirit, high hope and optimism to everything we do."(UFW: The official….) During 10-24 December 1970, Cesar was imprisoned in Salinas, Calif. The charges against him were, he refused to obey a court order to stop the boycott against Bud Ante lettuce. Important visitors like Ethel Kennedy, widow of Robert Kennedy and Coretta Scott King, widow of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., visited him in the prison. By 1971, the UFW membership had grown to around 80,000. It also shifted its headquarters at La Paz in Keene, Calif., southeast of Bakersfield. In 1972, the UFW was recognized as an independent affiliate by the AFL-CIO. Its new name was United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO (UFW) Was the government hand-in-glove with the growers to curb the increasing influence of Cesar? When Arizona law was passed banning the right of farm workers to strike or boycott, Cesar protested by fasting, and it continued for 25 days in Phoenix! The grape owners were determined to fight back. In 1973, when the UFW’s three-year table grape contracts were due for renewal, instead of doing so, the management signed contracts with the Teamsters without proper procedure or holding the election. This was the most violent phase in the trade union movement conducted by Cesar. The growers were getting desperate by his popularity and total hold on the workers. The growers were overawed by the success of Cesar’s nonviolent tactics like boycotts, pickets, and strikes. Apart from the growing popularity and control on the workers, he was able to get their demands conceded by the managements, and some of the hard-core owners did not like this situation. They planned desperate violent acts to finish the trade union movement of Cesar. A bitter three-month strike by grape workers in California’s Coachella and San Joaquin valleys followed. The Government came with a heavy hand on the striking workers, for violating anti-picketing injunctions, many were beaten and shot and two were murdered. These incidents of extreme violence made Cesar call off the strike and he appealed for the second boycott of the products of the concerned owners! The American democracy was at work. A nationwide Louis Harris Poll was conducted in 1975 and it revealed that a staggering 17 million Americans were boycotting grapes. Many were boycotting lettuce and Gallo wine, when the winery workers struck work at the giant Modesto, the Calif.-based producer. Jerry Brown became the governor, and the growers relented in the face of the stiff resistance of the workers led by Caser and the growing resentment amongst the Americans as for the unsympathetic attitude of the growers. They agreed upon the legal provisions to ensure the right of the workers to organize and bargain with their employers. The landmark Agricultural Labor Relations Act was passed through the State Legislature, in June 1975. Cesar had unshakable faith in non-violence. He said, "Farm workers everywhere are angry and worried that we cannot win without violence. We have proved it before through persistence, hard work, faith and willingness to sacrifice. We can win and keep our own self-respect and build a great union that will secure the spirit of all people if we do it through a re-dedication and re-commitment to the struggle for justice through non-violence."(UFW: The official….) From 1975 to 1985, was the era of struggles, hopes, victories, strikes and lockouts but UFW continued to grow. Many agreements were signed by the growers. Decent wages and benefits were won for the workers. Boycotts and subsequent settlements happened in regular intervals, all over the state of California. But the deliberate acts of some of the growers took the mode of suppression of the workers to a new dimension. In 1986, Cesar had to begin “Wrath of Grapes” campaign, to let the world know about the pesticide poisoning of grape workers and their children. In 1988, at the age of 61, America saw Cesar on the longest fast of his trade union career, which lasted for 36 days. The action was in Delano. Conclusion: Cesar was a tough trade unionist, but not a tough individual. He led by example, His amiable and winning disposition brought him near to the hearts of labor class, religious groups, minorities, youth and students. As a man of great foresight, he trained his young workers, so that they can take over the middle-level leadership effectively. Boycott and picket were their main weapons. He ensured that violence of any kind was not used. He fasted on several occasions, without caring for his own life. By doing so, he was swimming against the tide. In those days, farm workers were an angry lot, and they were convinced that, without violence, they can not win. Caser proved all of them wrong. With willingness to sacrifice, hard work and faith and with balanced mental attitudes, he found solutions to the complex issues. He said, "(Farm workers) are involved in the planting and the cultivation and the harvesting of the greatest abundance of food known in this society. They bring in so much food to feed you and me and the whole country and enough food to export to other places. The ironic thing and the tragic thing is that after they make this tremendous contribution, they don't have any money or any food left for them."(UFW: The official….).On April 23, 1993, Cesar Chavez died peacefully in his sleep, in the house of a retired farm worker. On 29th of the same month 40,000 mourners marched behind Cesar’s coffin. The Vice-President of the UFW Arturo Rodriguez succeeded him as union president. The Cesar-era brought about dramatic changes in the agriculture in USA and a new respectability for the farm workers. =========== Works Cited: Etulain, Richard W: Cesar Chavez Paperback Edition 2007, University of Minnesota Press, Foster, Cass (Author), William Shakespeare (Author). Twelfth Night Publisher: 5 Star Publications; 1st edition (September 1997) Language: English ISBN-10: 1877749249 ISBN-13: 978-1877749247 Soto, Gary. Cesar Chavez: A Hero for Everyone (Milestone Books) Paperback: 80 pages Publisher: Aladdin (September 1, 2003) Language: English ISBN-10: 0689859228 ISBN-13: 978-0689859229 UFW: The Official Web Page of the United Farm Workers of America The Cesar E. Chavez Foundation is the intellectual property owner of Cesar's name, voice, Education of the Heart- - Retrieved on May 22, 2009 Read More