Huerta and Chavez Documents

Dolores Huerta: The Fight for Labor Rights

Dolores Huerta, born in Mexico in 1930, found her calling as an organizer…During this time she founded the Agricultural Workers Association, set up voter registration drives and pressed local governments for barrio [neighborhood] improvements. In the spring of 1962, César E. Chávez César and Huerta…launched the National Farm Workers Association. 

The first testament to Huerta’s lobbying and negotiating talents were demonstrated in securing Aid For Dependent Families (“AFDC”) and disability insurance for farm workers in the State of California in 1963. She also fought for the Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975. This was the first law of its kind in the United States, granting farm workers in California the right to collectively organize and bargain for better wages and working conditions.  While the farm workers lacked money they were able to apply significant economic power through hugely successful boycotts with grassroots campaigning. Huerta became one of the United Farm Workers’ most visible spokespersons…

Today, at 83, Dolores Huerta continues to work tirelessly developing leaders and advocating for the working poor, women, and children. As founder and president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, she travels across the country engaging in campaigns and influencing legislation that supports equality and defends civil rights. She often speaks up about issues of social justice and public policy.

There are currently thousands of working poor immigrants in California. Many are unfamiliar with laws or agencies that can protect them or benefits that they are entitled to receive. They often feel hopeless. Huerta teaches these individuals that they have personal power that needs to be coupled with responsibility and cooperation to create the changes needed to improve their lives.

In 2012, President Obama bestowed Huerta with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Upon receiving this award Huerta said, “The freedom of association means that people can come together in organization to fight for solutions to the problems they confront in their communities. The great social justice changes in our country have happened when people came together, organized, and took direct action.”

Cesar Chavez’s Non-Violent Tactics (excerpted)

Organizing Workers

The man who would teach Cesar Chavez...arrived in San Jose in 1953. Fred Ross was an organizer. He was in San Jose to recruit members for the Community Service Organization. CSO helped its members with immigration and tax problems, and taught them how to organize to deal with problems like police violence and discrimination. To Chavez, Ross’ simple rules for organizing were nothing short of revolutionary….

In 1965…the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC), a mostly Filipino union, went on strike when the Delano, California grape growers cut the pay of workers during the harvest. Chavez…joined the strike, and quickly became its leader.

Under Chavez’ leadership…they would do battle non-violently, since they could never match the growers in physical force. …Although there were picket lines and worker protests in the fields, the real focus moved to the cities where grapes were sold. Hundreds of students, religious workers and labor activists talked to consumers in front of markets, asking them to do a simple thing: “Help the farmworkers by not buying grapes.” At its height, over 13 million Americans supported the Delano grape boycott.

The pressure was irresistible, as the grape growers were losing too much money. In 1969 the Delano growers signed historic new contracts with the…United Farmworkers Union (UFW). This increased the pay and improved conditions for the workers.

Fasting

Cesar Chavez often brought attention to bad working conditions by fasting, which is eating nothing except drinking water. In 1968, Chavez went on a 25 day fast. He did it to bring attention to the use of harmful pesticides on grapes and to send a message to supermarkets who sold them. Media attention was huge, and even presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy supported Chavez and his fast. The fast helped bring attention to the use of pesticides and eventually helped lead to new laws banning and restricting them.