Today in Labor History March 31, 1927: Birth of Cesar Chavez. In 1965, Chavez led farm workers in California on their first grape boycott. The nationwide protest lasted five years and ended with the first union contract for U.S. farm workers outside of Hawaii. In 1966, Chavez’s organization officially became the United Farm Workers. Chavez was inspired by the nonviolent civil disobedience of Gandhi. In addition to strikes, boycotts and pickets, he was famous for going on hunger strikes. Later he became infatuated with the religious cult, Synanon. He used Synanon’s “game” to punish union members and enforce conformity. Chavez also supported the brutal Filipino dictator Ferdinand Marcos. This alienated Filipino members of the union, as well as many of the religious organizations that had supported the UFW.

Today in Labor History March 17, 1966: 100 striking Mexican American and Filipino farmworkers marched from Delano, California to Sacramento to pressure the growers and the state government to answer their demands for better working conditions and higher wages, which were, at the time, below the federal minimum wage. By the time the marchers arrived, on Easter Sunday, April 11, the crowd had grown to 10,000 protesters and their supporters. A few months later, the two unions that represented them, the National Farm Workers Association, led by César Chávez, and the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, joined to form the United Farm Workers. The strike was launched on September 8, 1965, by Filipino grape pickers. Mexicans were initially hired as scabs. So, Filipino strike leader Larry Itliong approached Cesar Chavez to get the support of the National Farm Workers Association, and on September 16, 1965, the Mexican farm workers joined the strike. During the strike, the growers and their vigilantes would physically assault the workers and drive their cars and trucks into the picket lines. They also sprayed strikers with pesticides. The strikers persevered nonviolently. They went to the Oakland docks and convinced the longshore workers to support them by refusing to load grapes. This resulted in the spoilage of 1,000 ten-ton cases of grapes. The success of this tactic led to the decision to launch a national grape boycott, which would ultimately help them win the struggle against the growers.

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"Migrant Workers Drive US Produce Harvest; A Deep Dive"

With Spring, harvest season for US produce nears...

This post explores the history of migrant farm labor in the U.S., the legal framework surrounding their employment, the economic impact of their work, and the human stories behind the statistics.

#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #breaking #breakingnews #immigration #migrants #farmworkers

https://www.patreon.com/Free_Press_Forever

AURE FREE PRESS EXTRA

FREE Patreon Subscription

"Migrant Workers Drive US Produce Harvest; A Deep Dive"

With Spring, harvest season for US produce nears...

This post explores the history of migrant farm labor in the U.S., the legal framework surrounding their employment, the economic impact of their work, and the human stories behind the statistics.

#AureFreePress #News #press #headline #breaking #breakingnews #immigration #migrants #farmworkers

https://www.patreon.com/Free_Press_Forever

Today in Labor History February 24, 1919: U.S. Congress passed a new Child Labor law. However, in 1924, the courts declared it unconstitutional. A similar law passed in 1917. The Supreme Court ruled that one unconstitutional, too. It wasn’t until the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act that modern child labor laws were enforced in the U.S. However, the law never banned child labor in agriculture. Consequently, 500,000 children pick roughly 25% of all the food harvested in the U.S. They often still work 10 or more hours a day. They are exposed to dangerous pesticides and die at a rate five times higher than kids in other industries. Barely half the kids working in agriculture ever finish high school.

Mass deportations could lead to higher food prices and construction costs. Immigrants without legal status make up about 50% of US farmworkers, many with specialized skills crucial to agriculture. Political science professors weigh in #immigration #ICE #farmworkers https://buff.ly/3QnuJ9P

"Ventura County strawberry workers are harvesting in heavy smoke from the Hughes Fire. We remind workers their employers have to provide them with respirator masks if the AQI exceeds 150. Stay safe! #WeFeedYou "

source: https://x.com/UFWupdates/status/1882240130624135225

Today in Labor History January 14, 1914: The trial of Suhr and Ford began on this date in Marysville, California. Suhr and Ford were IWW organizers who were ultimately convicted for their alleged role in the gun battle at Durst Ranch in Wheatland. Four died in the so-called “Wheatland riots” (Aug 1913) when police fired into a crowd of California farmworkers trying to organize with the IWW. The dead included the district attorney and sheriff, as well as two farm workers. The governor called in the national guard to restore order. At the time, Durst Ranch was the largest employer of agricultural laborers in the state. They grew hops for the British beer industry. Durst regularly hired seasonal pickers in the summers, forcing them to live in tents on a hot, barren hillside. Conditions were unsanitary. The closest water was a mile away. Durst’s brother exploited workers further by selling them overpriced lemonade, in lieu of water. They had to pay 75 cents per week in rent. Wages were under $1.50/day and Durst withheld 10% of each worker’s wages as insurance against them quitting before harvest season ended.

Thanks + Giving: Family traditions, why I think of this as "fabulous four-day weekend", places to donate to support Indigenous people and farm workers, and poetry https://biketoworkbarb.blogspot.com/2024/11/thanks-giving.html.

Today in Labor History August 16, 1973: A 60-year-old United Farm Workers (UFW) member, Juan de la Cruz, was shot by a strike breaker during the UFW's a second grape boycott, in opposition to the Teamster’s sweetheart deals with the California growers. He died the next day. Another UFW striker, Nagi Daifallah, was killed two days before.

#EPA takes #emergency action to stop use of #dangerous pesticide

For the 1st time in 40 yrs, the #Environmental Protection Agency has taken emergency action to stop the use of a #pesticide linked to serious #HealthRisks for unborn #babies.

Tues’s #EmergencyOrder applies to… #DCPA aka #Dacthal, an #herbicide used on #crops such as #broccoli, #BrusselsSprouts, #cabbage & #onions.

#Health #PublicHealth #climate #Pregnant #farmworkers #farmers #agriculture
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/08/06/epa-pesticide-farmworkers/

"The Florida Highway Patrol arrested the driver of a pickup truck that crashed into the farmworker bus. Troopers said Bryan Maclean Howard, 41, faces eight counts of driving-under-the-influence-manslaughter for Tuesday morning’s crash.. State records show he has previous arrests for alleged driving with a suspended license, leaving the scene of an accident, and marijuana possession"
https://apnews.com/article/bus-accident-florida-fatalities-e0832b36b75d5cd9beb8080d12edae51
—
#FarmWorkers #immigration #Florida #Mexico

Today in Labor History April 23, 1910: IWW farmhands went on strike in Yamhill, Oregon, when some were fired for teaching and talking about Industrial Unionism. The workers were demanding a 30-cents per hour raise and a decent bunk house. Farmers tried unsuccessfully to hire strike breakers and started slandering the strikers' wives. Fellow IWW members from Portland helped bring supplies and sabotaged some of the farmers' trees.

Today in Labor History April 14, 1930: Over 100 Mexican and Filipino farm workers were arrested for union activities in Imperial Valley, CA. 8 were convicted of “criminal syndicalism.”

#Republicans would rather #boycott #TysonFoods than #acknowledge how #essential #immigrant #workers are.

There are about 2.4 million #FarmWorkers in #America. Foreign-born workers make up 68% of that #workforce

#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #Conservatives #Extremism #Fascism #RepublicanParty #Hate #Bigotry #Discrimination #Xenophobia #ThePartyOfHate

https://www.salon.com/2024/03/26/would-rather-boycott-tyson-foods-than-acknowledge-how-essential-workers-are/

Today in Labor History March 17, 1966: 100 striking Mexican American and Filipino farmworkers marched from Delano, California to Sacramento to pressure the growers and the state government to answer their demands for better working conditions and higher wages, which were, at the time, below the federal minimum wage. By the time the marchers arrived, on Easter Sunday, April 11, the crowd had grown to 10,000 protesters and their supporters. A few months later, the two unions that represented them, the National Farm Workers Association, led by César Chávez, and the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, joined to form the United Farm Workers. The strike was launched on September 8, 1965, by Filipino grape pickers. Mexicans were initially hired as scabs. So, Filipino strike leader Larry Itliong approached Cesar Chavez to get the support of the National Farm Workers Association, and on September 16, 1965, the Mexican farm workers joined the strike. During the strike, the growers and their vigilantes would physically assault the workers and drive their cars and trucks into the picket lines. They also sprayed strikers with pesticides. The strikers persevered nonviolently. They went to the Oakland docks and convinced the longshore workers to support them by refusing to load grapes. This resulted in the spoilage of 1,000 ten-ton cases of grapes. The success of this tactic led to the decision to launch a national grape boycott, which would ultimately help them win the struggle against the growers.

What's behind the farm worker shortage that's driving up food prices?
https://thedemlabs.org/2024/01/22/farm-worker-shortage-drives-up-food-prices-maga-immigration-chaos/
#farmworkers #groceryprices #magaclowns