Chicano Farm Worker's Struggle
Dr. Gilberto Cardenas discusses the organizing efforts of the United Farm Workers (UFW). Although farm workers have been organizing since the turn of the century, they only entered the national spotlight in the 1960s with the United Farm Workers strike in Delano, California where Filipino and Chicano workers demanded recognition of their union, better wages and improved living and working conditions. In this pursuit, they ultimately organized a successful nationwide grape boycott. Cardenas explains that the UFW was the most aggressive and revolutionary social movement of the 1960s and 70s because using only nonviolent strategies they were able to ally with various groups and fight successfully against a politically and financially powerful agribusiness elite. Cardenas says that the UFW was particularly successful at attracting a broad base of support because they were well-trained organizers willing to travel throughout the country to seek allies.
While the UFW in the past denounced the undocumented worker for hindering their unionization, they have since changed their stand and now support undocumented workers and decry their exploitation by employers. The UFW has also adopted various strategies over the years, some of which have alienated other workers, such as those in Texas who have split to form their own union, the Texas Farm Workers Union.
KEYWORDS
AFL-CIOAgribusiness
Agriculture Labor Relations Act
Antonio Orendain
Black Panthers
Boycotts
Brown Berets
Catholic Churches
Cesar Chavez
Chicano Movement
Chicanos
Civil Rights Movement
Communist Party
Community Organizing
Delano, California
Department of Agriculture
Department of Defense
Department of Justice
Department of Labor
Farm Workers
Filipinos
Fred Ross
Gilberto Cardenas
Grape
Illegal Alien
Immigration
Militant Protest
Nonviolence
Peace and Freedom Movement
Protestant Churches
Republican Party
Right to Work Laws
Saul Alinsky
Senator Bob Dole
Social movement
Socialist Worker’s Party
Strike
Teamsters
Texas Farm Workers Union
Undocumented worker effect on labor
United Farm Workers Agricultural Organizing Committee