One of America’s iconic civil rights and labor leaders, the late Cesar Chavez, had sexual abuse allegations brought against him.
His Legacy
Chávez co-founded the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) in 1962 and started a movement of boycotts and marches. To secure higher wages, better working conditions, and improved safety standards for migrant farm workers. The National Park Service (NPS) explains that the Delano grape strike lasted from 1965 to 1970.
What Happened
On September 8, 1965. Over 800 Filipino farmworkers with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC) struck 10 grape vineyards around Delano. They demanded a raise in both hourly wages, from $1.25 to $1.40, and in the piece rate. Piece rate is what the workers earn from each box of grapes packed. Workers wanted it to go up from 10 cents to 25 cents.
NPS said, “This decision was a big risk for Delano’s grape workers. Many lived in company housing and could be evicted with little or no notice, and, indeed, many eventually were forced to leave their homes as a consequence of striking. There was also a risk that the growers might draw from the large population of Mexican and Mexican American farm workers to replace the striking Filipino crews.” At that point, Chavez and the UFW—formerly the National Farm Workers Union (NFWA)—entered the picture.
They were still in the young years of their organization. Having worries about not having enough resources to commit to the strike. Despite the reservations, on September 16, 1965, Mexican Independence Day, they met to hold a strike vote…