Vol. V No.4 © 1972 El Malcriado price10C June 23,1912

NEVER FEAR,F.B. IS HERE!

'\:

FASTING FOR JUSTICE

The deepest matters in life are the Ed ito ria1hardest to explain. For centuries Holymen have fasted as they chaUenged theestablished powers demanding justice fortheir people.

The prophet is not simply a religiousleader. He is political spokesman as welLHe speaks out in front of all membersof society' about the faults of society.

The fast of the prophet is to put hislife on the line. He takes that which ismost human, his right to eat, and forgoes a time to think and reflect.that right. The willingness to give up During a fast we express what we be­eating is the same as the willingness to lieve. The fast says we believe humanitygive up one's' right to live. can govern the earth. The fast expressing

Many people have asked· about cesar's our Faith says people do not have to befast. "Doesn't he know that he must be alienated from their work, from their lea­strong for battle?" "What about his health?" ders nor from the land., 'What good does it do to stop eating?" Anyone who conSidered the fast as un­and on and on. All sorts of rationalizations reasonable might let us know how he couldcome into the picture. Hopefully, here is have organized so many people so effec­some help for those who do not yet under- tively with such limited resources. Whatstand. appears to be impractical suddenly looks

A fast is not an exclusively rational practicaLact. It is an act of Faith and as such The fast says we believe our powermay not always fit into what appears to is greater than our numbers. We believebe a practical analysis of the problem our impact is greater than 01U' size. Weat hand. An act of Faith is an extension believe people are ready for human instru­of reason. Some, however, may choose ments of change and the job of developingto call a given act of Faith impractical some of those instruments has been givenor even imprudent but that judgement is to us. We believe that now, in the lattertheir opinion alone. part of the 20th century, we as poor and

Cesar could have been out getting sig- lower-income people have identified toolsnature!!. He could have been speaking. He that w1ll bless the 21st century with peace.could have been writing. But he realizes We have seen these tools work. We havehe cannot do it all alone and in times used them. We believe that the Boycottof such severe crisis for La Causa, he can replace napalm. We beUeve that Strikesopens his heart to spiritual forces. He can replace guns. We believe people w1llfelt the call to fast. He brOUght people accept the enormous power of organized,together from all over the United States Non-violent change.to crack one of the deadest nuts of them We-.do not claim to have developed theseall, Arizona.••arid, dried up and repressive. tools in a vacuum. We did not invent theWithin that dead structure he found liVing fast. It has been used for centuries bypeople. He was organiZing. tbe peacemakers of history. We did not

The people of Arizona gave us a warm invent the Boycott. The whole world sawreception. As is often the case, the people the power of Mahatma Gandhi as he toldare fine; the leadership sick. A fast is' his people to Boycott British goods, to

moral and inhuman. We can fast volUntarilybecause we don't want one child to ever

.have to fast involuntarily again.Fasting is meaningfulactivity that does

not produce /l'visible result. In this sense,fasting should not be called work. Workis meamngful activity that is productive~A fast is like playing or praying, it islike celebrating. For this reason manypeople in a society of work neurosis cannotunderstand the fast. They w1ll never under-

Boycott British Courts, to Boycott British- stand a fast until they understand how topolitical life and British education. His play, how to pray, and how to celebrate.'organizing, fasting and Boycotting liberated Celebration does not build the house. WeIndia from British rule. celebrate because of what we are about

The use of these tools rather than the to do or what we have done. But cele­discovery of them is our contribution to bration is meaningful. We have celebrateda militaristic and corrupt .society. We want a fast. It was play but it was not fun.Senators to fast. Anti-war Senators might' It is not fun to complete the conquestfast until the war is stopped. They might of Mt. Everest or to finish a 50 mileput their lives on the line like cesar did. !'Darathon but at the same time it is play.We think they' would get action. The point is it might have been done an easier

The "powerless" consumers of society way. Why not climb the mountain with acan learn how to Boycott and how to Strike. helicopter? Why not win the race with aThey can fast from any item that is tied motorcycle? Were all things done prag­to injustice, such as lettuce. They can matically there would be no play, no prayerBoycott that from which they are fasting. and no celebration.Why buy that which you are not eating? Cesar's fast has brought us togetherYou are fasting from lettuce, you are with a renewed sense of Solidarity. WeBoycotting it at the same time. A Boycott have been inspired to continue our struggleis a fast. You may Boycott (fast from) in Arizona. The people of Arizona areone thing or many things. While Cesar opening their hearts to us and are signingfasted from everything he asked the Amer- the petition to recall Governor jack Wil­ican people to fast from lettuce. liams. They are backing us as we struggle

I Fasting is power. A people tht can fast in Yuma Valley.can control its own destiny. Learning how As people are touched by La Causa,to Boycott (fast from) certain goods which they suddenly begin to .change and to feelrepresent injustice and exploitation teaches the freedom of doing and saying what theypeople new ways of voting. believe. And all over the country we are

The involuntary fasting of our children asking our fellow farmworkers and ouris a tragedy. As long as we are denied supporters to join our ORGANIZED FASTthe right to organize for better wages FROM LETIUCE AND TO CONTINUEand working conditions, we cannot feed THAT FAST UNTIL THE REPRESSIVEour children adequately. This involuntary ANTI-FARMWORKER LAW IS REPEALEDfasting causes brain damage from vitamin IN ARIZONA AND THE GROWERSdeficiencies. This kind of fasting, the fast- SIGN UNION CONTRACTS WITH OURing of children against their will, is im- UNION. VIVA LA CAUSA! .

@ 1972, ~l Malcriado

Dear Cesar:I have been follOWing closely your efforts

in Arizona, lind like you, fear the d'arkcloud of repressive state legislation that isrolling across the land. Your act of per­sonal sacrifice is far more than a protest-­it is an affirmation of the dignity of allmen. I have never understood more clearlythe truth 0 f yourwords that "the truest actof courage, the strongest act of manlinessis to sacrifice ourselves for others in atotally Non-violent struggle for justice."I respect and admire the depth ofyour com­mirment to your fellow man. We need you "in the struggle now and in the days and yearsahead. So I urge you, Cesar, to consideryour health and to limit your fast to a timespan that insures that you and your leader­ship will be with us in the time that liesbefore us. I love you and all that'you rep­resent.

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Sincerely,Alan CranstonU. S. Senator (D. -California)

UNITED FARM WORKERS

AFL-Cro

•

Sister Rose Steitz, Clergy and Laity Con­cerned, DetroitRabbi Leon Fram, Reformed jewish, De­troitRev. james Bristah, Superintendent, UnitedMethodist Church, Detroit, East DistrictRev. Robert Marshall, Birmingham Unitar­ian Church, Bloomfield HillsSister Ann Elizabeth Porter, Bishop Borge'sHigh, DetroitFather Richard j. Cassidy, St. Hugo'sChurch, Bloomfield Hills

•Published every two weeks as

the

Official voice of the:

Voice of th~ Farmworker.

La Paz. P.O. Box 62Keene, California 93531

We stand with you in your fight againstthe unjust Arizona farm labor legislationand fully support your efforts to end re­pression against farmworkers. We prayfor your continued health during this timeof sacrifice and hope that Arizona law­makers will finally be awakened to themisery under which farmworkers mustsuffer. We pledge not to eat Iceberg lettuceuntil lettuce workers are granted theirrights to their union. May God be with youin your sacrifice and struggle. Viva LaCausal

The Most Rev. Thomas j. Gumbleton D. D.,Auxiliary Bishop of DetroitRev. William Ii. Daniels, United Church ofChrist. DetroitRev. Perry A. Thomas, Grosse PointeFarmsRev. David T. Mair, DetroitDr. Richard C. Devor, Central UnitedMethodist, DetroitFattier Paul Fettig, Vicar, East Side Vic­ariate, St. Anthony's, DetroitGarland j. jaggers, Black SecretariateArchdiocese of DetroitFather Ron Martus, All Saints Church,DetroitFather Raymond Boulanger, Our Lady Queenof Peace ChurCh, Harper WoodsFather Victor Clore, St. Francis De SalesChurch, DetroitRev. Kenneth B. Woodside, Trinity UnityMethodist ChurCh, Highland ParkRev. john Nicholls Booth, First UnitarianUniversalist Church, DetroitFather Robert Power, Ste. Anne's Church,DetroitFather Larry Carney, Ste. Anne's Church,DetroitSocial Concerns Committee, United Churchof Christ, DetroitBlanche Barber, Detroit, ArchdiocesanCouncil of Catholic WomenFather Thomas B. Smith, St. Domenic'sChurch, DetroitSister Kathleen GilliS, Shrine Grade SChool,

. Royal Oak

History on Our Side

UAW CondemnsAnti-Farmworker Law

Leonard Woodcock, PresidentInternational Union,United Auto Workers

john V. Linsday, MayorNew York City(New York City normally purchases morethan 600,000 Ibs. of lettuce annually ata total cost of more than $IOO,OOO--Ed.)

As always you know that you have. mysuppOrt in the struggle to further therights of the nation's farmworkers throughNon-violent means. For those who believethat by passing a law outlawing legitimateUnion activities, I would urge them tore-read the history of the first half ofthis century. Laws were passed to denythe right to strike--and laws were passedto deny the right to bargain collectively.But in the end, men organized; men wentout on strike, men bargained collectively.And the laws were changed. They werechanged because determined men joinedtogether to demand an end to economic"'ppression.

In 1965, the farmworkers of Californiacommitted themselves to the Huelga--tothe struggle for a decent wage and tothe struggle for an end to discrimination--and to the struggle for the dignity ofall men. In California, much has beenwon. Many. from outside the Chicano andfarmworker community identified with yourcause and pledged their support. I am

--proud that my brother was one of theThe UAW stands with you in your fight first. And I am proud to count myself

against the immoral, unjust Arizona law among your supporters. I remember, too,reiUlating the organization offarmworkers. in 1968 when Senator Robert Kennedy wentIt is clear that this law was written by to be with you at the end of another fast.employers to prevent farmworkers from The end to that fast marked the beginningexercising their rigpts to effectively or- of the victory and the first agreementsganize, bargain colleCtively and Strike when with your Union.' I hope and pray thatthey f1ave no other way to obtain a fair and the end to this fast will also mark theequitable contract and win dignity. SUch a beginning of the victory there in Arizonalaw is intolerable in a free society. We --a victory that will assure thefarmworkersstand in Solidarity with the farmworkers of Arizona the right to bargain collectivelyand with you in your fight to repeal this --the right to Strike--and the right to or-unjust, one-sided law restricting farm- ganize•••for those are rights that this na-workers in their right to organize, bargain tion must protect. It is too late in historyand Strike so they and their families can to try once again to condemn the farm-pull themselves out of poverty, oppression workers to second-class citizenship. Thatand forced subservience. effort is doomed to failure--and yours is

fated for success.Viva La Causa

j

Ted Kennedy

Review Farm Bureau'sTax-Exempt Status

Once again you are in the middle ofa long struggle for equality and justicefor the farmworker--and for all workingmen. I am today joining you by issuing;an order requiring that New York Citypurchase no iceberg lettuce for its hos­pitals and inStitutions. It is' our hope thatthis move w1ll further assist the UFWin organizing farmworkers in the UnitedStates. You have my wholehearted and con­tinued support in your courageous efforts.And my best personal wishes for yourreturn to good health.

Dear Mr. Chavez:

NewYork City BacksLettuce Boycott

The action of the Governor of Arizonareflects a brazen indifference to the le­gitimate rights and needs of farmworkersto organize and bargain collectively. Itsets a dangerous precedent for other stateswhich could result in a body blow tofarmworkers' rights. Once again the Amer­ican Farm Bureau Federation has shownits true constituency is the agri-giants,and not the nation's family farmers, whosupport farm workers' rights to organize.In view of the Farm Bureau's activitiesin this episode, it is clear .that the FarmBureau's tax-exempt status should be re­viewed. I join with Cesar Chavez in pro­testing this most unfair legislation.

Senator George McGovern(D.-South Dakota)

2 • june 23, 1972 • EL MALCRIADO

Ie• Melon Workers on Strike • Growers Use High Sch00 1St uden t s asS t ike brea ker s'

•

San L-uis. Arizona is almost all barrio.- The United Farm Workers Field Office is

right in the middle, surrounded by sand andtrailers, a few hundred yards from the mainroad to Yuma.

That road is surrounded by melon fields"and the melons are ripe. Coming downfrom Phoenix late at night you can't see'anything, but you know when you're thereby the smell. They're ready for picking.

Down that road the other direction fromthe field office, just a few hundred yards,is Mexico. Sonora and San Luis. Everyday, hours before the first light, hundredsof farmworkers pour over in contractors'busses, old cars, on foot. Green carders,cheap labor, the growers' last necessarylink to the big ptofits.

Early on the morning of May 31 thoseworkers were met at the border by Unionorganizers. They had heard rumors fordays about a Strike, and the 'organizerswere letting them know that today was theday.

Union Organizer Manuel Chavez had fig­ured the time was right. He had been inSan Luis for just two weeks, straight fromFlorida ~here he was instrumental in win­ning the Union contracts with Coca-ColaCompany and H. P. Hood, Inc. "You neverknow how a Strike's gonna go", he said,"you just never know 'til you're out there.But I promise you. there'll be action~"

The organizers came back from the bor­der at the first light; everyone else joinedthem in about a dozen cars and trucks,Huelga flags flapping out the Windows, downthe Yuma road to the fields. The sun was,just up when we hit the first fields.

"Huelga! !CompanerosL !Huelgal (Strike,Brothers, Strikel )", the cries went upimmediately. About fifty men lined the roadwith their flags and voices. There wereabout sixteen crews and their supervisorsin the fields. There was a little hesi­tancy at first. but soon they started comingout. Manuel jumped from place to place.

,shaking hands and pounding backs, talkingnon-stop as workers left the fields. Withina half an hour, everyone--everyone--hadleft those fields--except the supervisors.of course. Men stood around, talking.breaking open melons and eating. nervouslylaUghing: in their own courage. Manuel wasecstatic. "I didn't expect this". he said."Not everyone. I mean, that doesn't happenvery often you know. Most, butnotevery­one. This is great. They'll loose $15,000in these fields alone today. These melons

. are ready--if they don't get them today,they don't get them period:'

By this time the state patrol was there.They kept us out of the next fields, whichwas accessable only by a private road.They were later in the day to allow growersto block public roads to prevent organizers

from getting to workers--block them withtheir own cars and trucks.

Manuel took the men who had just leftthe fields back to the Union office; wherehe gave them a quick talk about what washappening and what the Union's plans were.Then he dispatched them to other fields tourge other workers to strike. In one ltourthese men had gone from workers to strikersto strike organizers. By the end of the dayseveral hundred had left the fields.

Within a couple of days the figure toppeda thousand. According to Jerry Cohen.General Counsel to the Union. between 1,400and 1,800 workers joined the Strike by June 6.Jerry said there were about 7Q lJlelon fieldsin the Yuma-Dome Valley area totaling 8,000acres and that pickets found melon crewsin only about ten fields the day before.The growers were really hurting. TheFarm Bureau called a press conferencein Phoenix to say, in their- usual contra­diction, that the strike wasn't haVing anyeffect but ought to be stopped (See page 13).The growers went to their local judge totry to do just that.

On June 2' they got a restraining order,which restricted pickets to fourteen perfield, fifty feet apart; any other picketershad to be fifteen yards outside the field.On June 9 this provision was thrown outand 'picketing was limited to fourteen perfield, period. No more than three peoplewere allowed at one entrance.

The growers brought in 500 to 600 localhigh school students to try to break theStrike. The Union responded in the strong­est terms:

"The Executive Board of the UnitedFarm Workers, AFL-CIO, condemns the useof strikebreakers in Yuma, year after year.It is a blatant act of racist oppression touse white students annually to frustrate andprevent agricultural workers from achiev­ing their legal and legitimate goal of self­representation by the Union of their choice.The exploitation of children to deny workersthe protection and advantages of a UnionContract enjoyed by most other Americanworkers is shameful and intolerable andwould not even be considered in any otherAmerican industry."

The Yuma Vegetable Shippers Associationwent on to use the radios to broadcastappeals for strikebreakers all over theYuma Valley.

NontheIess, Manuel called the Strike suc­cessful, saying that the fields were three­fourths empty of workers with students anda few other strikebreakers the only onesworking.

Manuel called the restraining order"harsh and a violation of our constitutionalrights." On June 9 a hearing was held and

the Union was asked to show cause Why theorder shouldn't be continued. Two hun­dred farmworkers--all that the court roomcould hold--attended, while others waitedoutside.

The growers told the court that theStrike wasn't really a Strike--that therewas no protest over wages or worldngconditions. that the men had left the fieldsfor the sole purpose of shOWing sympathyfor Cesar's fast. They therefore demandedthat it be halted.

David Camacho. Union organizer in SanLuis, responded by testifying that workershad come to him complaining about piece­rates and working conditions, and that thesegrievances were the real basis for theStrike.

The growers' attorneys, out of eitherignorance or arrogance, asked David toname one--just one--worker who had cometo him. David turned to the audience andpointed out one man, then another, elChof whom agreed that they had complainedto him. Soon others raised their hands,saying they were dissatisfied. Then thewhole audience was on its feet, angrilyasserting that the Strike was indeed legiti­mate and should in no way be restrained.

A grower named Pasquinelli, owner of thefields that were hit first on the morningof May 31, testified as to the Strike'seffectiveness. He said he lost over halfof his workers in the first few days. andthat on one day when he had 1,300 acresto be picked he had workers to cover only200.

Manuel and our farmworker brothers inthe Yuma-Dome Valley have thrown thegrowers' repressive anti-farmworker law,just recently passed, back into their faces.The feature of the law that the growersand the Farm Bureau keep extolling isthe provision for secret ballot electionsfor the selection of a Union. Manuel hasdeclared publicly, "I challenge any growerin the Yuma Valley to let us prove to himthat we represent all his farmworkers-­either by a secret ballot election or a cardcheck el.ection. I have already proven itby a Strike."

SPECIAL BULLETINStriking farmworkers have gone back to

work in the melon fields of the Yuma Valley.The Strike forced growers to double theirwages,' from $20-25 to $40-60 a day.However, no Union Contracts have been won.and Manuel promises that the strugglewill continue in the Yuma Valley, andWherever else melons are harvested, untilworkers are under Contract.Viva La Causa!

CESAR CHAVEZ ENDS 24·DAY FAST•6,000 attend Mass • 51 SE PUEDE!

Union chaplain Father Joe Melton, along with representatives from religious communities all over Arizona, celebrated the Mass in memory ofRobert F. Kennedy at which Cesar ended his 24-day fast.

Cesar takes bread for the first time in 24 days. He was accompanied to the Mass by Joan Baez (center), who sang at its close.

PHOENIX, Arizona--Union DirectorCesar Chavez ended his fast of love onits 24th day during a memorial Mass inhonor of John F. Kennedy, Martin LutherKing and Robert F. Kennedy. Six thousandfarmworkers and supporters crowded intothe convention hall of the Del Webb TowneHouse June 4 to join Cesar for the Mass.

Cesar was brought by ambulance to theconvention hall from Memorial Hospitalwhere he had been sent by doctors afterhe began to suffer severe stomach painsresulting from his prolonged fast. Despitenot haVing eaten for 24 days, he was ableto walk slowly into the hall to attend Mass.A roar of enthusiastic shouts of "SI SEPlJEDE!" rose f,om farmworkers and sup­porters as Cesar went to take his seat.

Union Chaplain Joe Melton presided overthe Mass, concelebrating with several otherpriec;ts and religious leaders. During theMass he declared, "We don't need a sermonof words, for we have the sermon in ac­tions. We have Cesar's fast, the Strikeof the farm workers in Yuma, the sacrifi·ces that are being made by all who arepassing petitions in this state to opensome light and some freedom for God'speople, and the sacrifices of all of thoseworking on the Lettuce Boycott here andthroughout the country.

"So I only ask", Joe said, "that ·fora moment we reflect in silence on the wordof God as we have heard in the SCrip­tures and as we experience it all aroundus and within us in this great struggleby farmworkers and their friends to achievethe justice God wants for his childrenand to which all men have a right."

He said "each one of us should ask our­selves 'how willing am I to be more human,more 'willing to stand up for justice, nomatter what the price.' "

Cesar's statement in which he termin­ated his 24-day fast was then read inSpanish by Gustavo Gutierrez, Director otOrganizing for the Union in Arizona, andin English by Chris Hartmire, Director ofthe National Farm Worker Ministry. Cesarwas too weakened by his fast to read ithimself.

In the statement Cesar thanked farmwor­kers and our supporters throughout the·country for their support during his fastand their continuing support for, La Causain Arizona and on the Lettuce Boycott.He said, "The fast was meant as a callto sacrifice for justice and as a reminderof how much suffering there is amonjtfarmworkers.' ,

Cesar declared: "We can choose to useour lives for others, to bring about a

4 • une 23, 1972 • EL MALCRIADO

better and more just world for uur child­ren.... If you give yourself totally to theNon-violent struggle for peace and justice,you also fin~ that people will give youtheir hearts and you will never go hungryand never be alone.

"God give us the strength and patienceto do it without bitterness so that we canwin both our friends and opponents to thec.ause of -iJJstice," he concluded. (Full textof Cesar's statement on Page 5).

Cesar's statement received a prolongedstanding ovation accompanied by the sloganthat has become so well-known throughoutthe state of Arizona: "SI SE PUEDE! SISE PUEDE'" ("IT CAN BE DONE!")

Cesar then. broke his fast with a pieceof sacrificial bread from the 100 loavesthat were blessed and distributed to the6000 farmworkers and supporters by thelarge number of religious leaders andclergymen present.- A feelingof relief and joy spread througn­out the crowd after Cesar terminated hisfast. Doctors' reports had indicated hishealth was deteriorating badly, causing na­tionwide concern.

Jerome Lackner, who has "been Cesar'sdoctor for more than six years, told re­porters at a press conference before theMass that "June 4 was the 24th day ofthe fourth fast of Cesar Chavez. His medi-

cal condition has progressively deteriora­ted. As stated before, this fast was su­perimposed on a condition of poor health,especially of malnutrition. His weakness hasprogressed and his back pains have wor-sened." . •

Jerome went on to explain that Cesarwas deficient in almost all vitamin le­vels and that his muscles were greatlyweakened.

He said, "During the past two weeksDr. Augusto Ortiz, who has attended himdaily, and I have urged him to terminatethis fast on medical grounds. Because ofthe adverse changes in his heart musclesthe doctorS' concern which was heavy be-

Jerome Lackner: " •••cesar' s cardiogrambrings tears to my eyes... "

fore has become even more intense. And inthe last few days our urgings that thefast be terminated have na,turally been es­calated. Especially as a result of discus­sions with him last night and this morn­ing, Dr. Ortiz and 1 are very hopeful,

has been hospitalized he has had communionbrought to him daily, but he has not beenable to go to Mass. And because of hisinsistence to attend the Mass, which is amemorial for persons he held dear andcherished, we will allow him to be trans­ported by ambulance to stay for Mass onlyand immediately ther.eafter, return to thehospital by ambulance."

"When his fast is completed, God wil­ling it will be soon, we will keep himhospitalized, start him on vitamin injec­tions, and gradually progress his diet fromliquids' to soft and then to solid foods.He will remain hospitalized until we areconfident he has regained sufficient strengthto be transported to convalescent sur­roundings. Following his discharge fromthe hospital he will need two to three weeksof absolute rest and freedom from pres-~ure.'· '

When asked about the dangers of per­manent damage to Cesar's health as aresult of his fast for social justice, Je­rome Lackner said: "The dangers ofpermanent damage are always present,how much there is remains to be seen.All 1 can say is that each fast has takena toll of his general health, this fasthas taken a greater toll than in the past."

After the Mass, Union Vice- PresidentGilberto Padilla introduced Joseph Kennedy,19, son of our fallen brother, SenatorRobert Kennedy. Joseph, who was givena resounding welcome, said "I am honoredto stand here with Cesar Ch~vez, wheremy father stood four years ago."

"I hope the end of this fast is the be­ginning of a victory here in Arizona,"he said. "My father believed in dreams and

I ..~w lUJians honored Cesar by presenting as an offering their famous dance to the Virginof Guadalupe, ordinarily performed only once a year.

Joseph Kennedy III (center) represented the Kennedy family at the Mass and took part in the long march which preceeded the Mass.Farmworkers from all over Arizona marched in solidarity with Cesar and in memory of joe's father, Robert F. Kennedy.

Union Director of OrganiZing and Re­search James Drake announced that' thecampaign to recall Governor JackWilliamshad obtained more than 27,000 of the103,000 necessary signatures so far. Go­vernor Jack Williams signed an anti-farm­worker bill into law May 11 and refused totalk to either farmworkers or to UnionDirector Cesar Chavez before doing so.The law was authored by the Arizona StateFarm Bureau Federation and is aimed atdestroying our Union inthatstate.

The day's activities were ended with somesongs by Joan Baez, who came to Phoenixto support Cesar's fast and the LettuceBoycott. (See story on page 9.) Joan wasintroduced by Union Vice-President PhilipVera Cruz who said "Hot weather is notthe only thing we have in common withthe people of Arizona. We both have badgovernors too." He stressed the importanceto continue La Causa's struggle in Ari­zona and throughout the country.

F ather Joe addresses the more than 6,000people who attended the Mass in memoryof Robert F. Kennedy.

er.'·

Paul SChrade, a long-time supporter ofour Union and one of the persons woundedwhen Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assas­sinated four years ago. During his briefremarks, Chris mentioned that Angela Da­vis, a Black fighter for justice accusedof murder by the U. s. government, hadbeen acquitted. A burst of joyous cheerscame from the people.

Union Board members Andy Imutan andJu(io Hernandez also spoke saying that"Arizona will never be the same again"and that "we must change this system thatmakes the rich richer and the pOor pOOr-

1 believe men must have those dreamsto live.

"And so 1 say to any of you who hasdoubts about victory in Arizona," he de­clared, "51 SE PUEDE"! He raised hisfist and the people rose to cheer and givehim a standing ovation.

Chris Hartmire, Director of the NationalFarm Worker Ministry, then spoke to thelarge - gathering to thank all of the re­ligious leaders who had come to share inthe memorial service. He also introduced

please God, that he will end his fasl soon."Jerome was asked how much longer he

thought Cesar could continue his fast.he replied: "To be honest with you, Ican tell you as a close personal personto him, who has taken care of him forsix and a half years, to look at his car­diograms today and yesterday as comparedto the ones he had before starting his fastbrings tears to my eyes."

"Today," Jerome continued, "Cesar is 'very desirous of attending Mass. Since he

Augusto Ortiz, the doctor who attended Cesar daily during his fast, read astatement of support from Arizona Mexican-Americans at the Mass.

ELMALCRIADO • June 23, 1972 • 5

" ,.

COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS Of'ARIZONA ANTI-fARM'WORKER LAW

As was reported in the last issue ofEL MALCRIAOO, on May 11 the ArizonaState Legislature passed H.B. 2134, a re­pressive anti-farmworker bill. The billwas signed into law by Arizona GovernorJack Williams less than an hour after itwas passed. The Boycott department ofourUnion has put together a comprehensiveanalysis of HoB. 2134.

According to the analysis, HoB. 2134 isa blatant example of the Farm Bureau'sefforts to pervert the legislative processto deprive farmworkers of their right to or­ganize a Union ana to bargain collectively.It is an unconstitutional deprivation offarmworkers' First Amendment freedom ofspeech and freedom of association. Thelaw's processes are a racist attempt todeny farmworkers due process and equalprotection of the laws. Its provisions areflagrantly punitive. Not only are theydlrec­ted against a single union, the UnitedFarm Workers -- but they discriminate a­gainst field laborers who already sufferthe lowest wages and poorest working con­ditions of all workers.

In effect the bill virtually stops migrantand seasonal farmworkers from voting;,establishes an undemocratic voting processas the only means of getting recognition;makes impossible the development of anymeaningful bargaining position; makes ne­gotiating a meaningful Contract both impos­sible and illegal; and then provides anopportunity for a grower to get out of aContract should one ever be negotiated.Furthermore, farmworkers and their sup­porters are subjected to criminal prose­

cution {or activity that is -perfeCtly -Jegarfor all other workers in the state of Arizona.

• secondary Boycotts are completelybanned.

• , primary Boycotts are severely re­stricted.-

• Racist attack o,n Farmworkers by Farm Bureau• Sets up undemocratic -voting process• Aimed at destroying our Union

• unfair employee labor practices aresubject to the above criminal penallties also.

• therefore, a farmworker or any personacting on behalf of the Farm WorkersUnion could be arrested for encouragingtheir neighborhood grocer or even theirneighbor not to buy lettuce, or*any othergeneric agricultural product. ..

• that the bill is directed primarilyagainst the United Farm Workers is madeperfectly clear by both the language of thebill and comments on the House floor.Though one of the justifications for the billis to prevent Strikes with perishable crops.stitchers, packers and haulers who dealwith the same crops are excluded fromcoverage under the law. Only field laborersare included.

ARIZONA LAWDOES IT AGAIN ....

• when asked during floor debate why thiswas so, one of the biU's proponents replied,'Because they belong t.Q other unions. Weall know that this bill is directed onlyagainst the Farm Workers Movement.'

·_~:·.·.·"I!i.E·hillI..

• any violation of the act by any personis subject to not only civil liability but alsocriminal prosecution with penalities of a$5,000 fine, one year in jail or both.

• the procedures set out for the boardto determine unfair labor practices arelengthy. expensive and deliberately obstruc­tionist.

• workers would have to retain an at­torney to represent them before this boardand pay from $200-$300 for tran~cripts ifthey wished to appeal.

• language in the bill makes it very ques­tionable whether the present hiring haUarrangement, designed to cure the abusesof the. labor conn-actor system. could con­tinue in Arizona. This is also true for theseniority system designed to protectworkers' rights.

.• 'thiring" is degined as a "managementright" under the bill so the Union could noteven negotiate regarding the proceduresand Criteria regarding it.

.' the process would take from six (6)months to a year and is designed to bottle­neck and frustrate workers in their attemptsto obtain resolution of their grievances. Onthe other hand, growers whenever they areaggrieved can go quickly to the superiorcourt for immediate relief.

• the Governor of Arizona will appointthe seven (7) - man labor relations boardas well as its general counsel, who is theonly attorney permitted to advise the board.

• this is the man who called 'john BirchDay'in Arizona in 1971, refused to meetwith farmworkers before signing the biUand referred to farmworker pickets asnon-existent people.

• even should the Union win a repre­sentation election, the workers could nevernegotiate anything more than a meaning­less contract. Robbed of the threat of theStrike and Boycott the grower could bar­gain indefinitely until the workers becamecompletely frustrated or agreed to acceptwhatever he wished to offer.

1.·1I"""-~III!i• 'time~"a;;ig;;~e~t:;!;dPi~~~~'~i;~:k:'• size and make-up of crews.• hiring, suspension and discharge of

employees.• standards and quality of works.• method, eqUipment, facilities, and

machinery used in grOWing and har­vesting crops.

:~l~~t~~:~il~iSt;.illl

• under this bill labor contractors aregiven the same legal status as employersthat growers have.

• the provisi"ns call for conductingelec­tions among contractor's crews and nego­tiating contracts with contractors. This isimpossible when in reality they are nothingmore than agents of growers.

• the bill also reqUires another lengthyelection to determine whether or not theworkers can even Strike.

The Farm Bureau has steadilstly opposed child-labor laws for agriculture, and the onion fields outside Phoenix were full ofchildren during Cesar's fast for justice. United Farm Workers'Contractscontrolchild labor, but this anti-Union law theFarm Bureau has pushed through in Arizona will make Contracts difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.

The bill promotes the abuses of the labor­contractor system:

• if the grower invokes this injunction.then the bill calls for binding arbitrationof the dispute. This deprives farmworkersof their right to collective bargaining insuch circumstances.

• after the 10 day period the court canextend the injunction further, perhaps in­definitely.

damage in order to obtain an automatic10 day injunction. No notice to the Unionnor hearing is required.

People from all walks of life in Arizonaare signing our petition to recall Gov.Jack Williams for his part in the passageof this repressive farm-labor law.

• Union members as well as their sup­porters are subject to criminal penaltiesshould they go outside those Boycott limits.

• the Union is denied access to theworkers, both in the fields and in the campsor camp housing, prior to the election.

• the board has discretion to separateunits of temporary and permanent employ­ees so that one election may not cover allthe employees on the ranch.

• this stacked election process is the onlymethod of union recOgnition allowed by thebill. Card check elections and ratificationelections are not recognized.

iPirm~I¥e~!r:.·······~fi~~I.·..•.••~k!-.·.· ~~...•~Ij~• should farmworkers Strike, the grower

need only petition the court with an af­fidavit that he may suffer $5,000 crop

• the procedures established by the billwould take eight (8) weeks or more beforean election could be held. In most cropsit would be impossible for anyone but thepermanent, mostly white, workers to vote.This section particularly discriminatesagainst Chicanos and seasonal workers.

• unless a seasonal worker has workedat the ranch some time in the preceedingcalendar year he is ineligible to vote inan election.

• you cannot ask consumers to Boycott"non-Union lettuce" but rather must iden­tify each of the many labels that are beingBoycotted.

• the grower supplies the board with thelist of eligible voters.

• even if the workers did elect a unionto represent them, once the season wasover the bill prOVides that the growercan n1'bve to decertify the union: The de­certification procedure is much easierthan the procedures established for certi­fication.

• any mistatement of fact in Boycottingis a violation of the law.

• no Boycott activity is permitted if thegrower has recognized another union(Teamster Sweetheart contracts) or if someof the workers on his ranch have had anelection during the preceeding twelvemonths.

• It is a criminal act for a farmworkeror a supporter to even "encourage" super­market personnel to discontinue an agri­Cultural product.

6 • June 23, 1972 • EL MALCRIADO

I

to do

fellowman."

opportunity

suffering of our

should be thankful for the

something about theThe following is the statement issued byCesar at the end of his 24-day fast June 4.

--Cesar Chavez:u""","",~w' e

Felipa Ramirez of the Union Field Office in Tolleson. Arizona helps to inform farmworkers about the nightlyMass that was celebrated during cesar's fast.

I want to thank you for coming today.Some of you have been to the Santa RitaCenter many times. Some have madebeautiful offerings at the Mass. I havereceived letters and telegrjlms and LettuceBoycott pledges from all over the world.Allof these expressions of your love and yoursupport for the farmworkers' struggle havestrengthened my spirits and I am grateful.I want especially to honor the farmworkerswho have risked so much to go on Strikefor their rights. Your sacrifices will notbe in vain!

I am weak in my body but I feel verystrong in my spirit. I am happy to endthe Fast because it is not an easy thing.But it is also not easy for my family andfor many of you who have worried andworked and sacrificed. The Fast wasmeant as a call to sacrifice for justiceand as a reminder of how much SUfferingthere is among farmworkers. In fact. whatis a few days without food in comparisonto the daily pain of our brothers and sisterswho do backbreaking work in the fields underinhuman conditions and without hope of everbreaking their cycle of poverty and misery.What a terrible irony it is that the verypeople who harvest the food we eat do nothave enough food for their own children.

It is possible to become discouraged aboutthe injustice we see everywhere. But Goddid not promise us that the world would behumane and just. He gives us the gift oflife and allows us to choose the waywe willuse our limited time on this earth. It isan awesome opportunity. We should bethankful for th-e life we have been given,thankful for the opportunity to do somethingabout the suffering of our fellowman. Wecan choose to use our lives for others tobring about a better and more just worldfor our children. People who make thatchoice will know hardship and sacrifice.But if you give yourself totally to the Non­violent struggle for peace and justice. youalso find that people will give you theirhearts and you will never go hungry andnever be alone. And in giving of yourselfyou will discover a whole new life full ofmeaning and love.

Nan Freeman and Sal Santos have giventheir lives for our Movement this past year.They were very young. It hurt us to losethem and it still hurts us. But the great-

~st tragedy is not to live and die. as weall must. The greatest tragedy is for aperson to live and die without knOWing thesatisfaction of giving life for others. Thegreatest tragedy is to be born but not tolive for fear of losing a little security orbecause we areafraid of lovfiig and giving­ourselves to other people.

Our opponents in the agricultural in­dustry are very powerful and farmworkersare still weak in money and influence. Butwe have another kind of power that comes

from the justice of our Cause. So long aswe are willing to sacrifice for that Cause.so long as we persist in Non-violence andwork to spread the message of our struggle.then millions of people around the worldwill respond from their hearts. will sup­port our efforts .•. and in the end we willovercome. Itcanbedone. We know it can bedone. God give us the strength and pa­tience to do it without bitterness so thatwe can win both our friends and opponentsto the cause of justice.

1 11 "" ..-.... ",,_.._ ,,'"..-._,__'1 11 ,__,_..__..,_-----------------------------III..U..--...

IFSME DOnales$46,310 to

La Causa

PHOENIX. Arlzona--William Lucy. sec­retary-Treasurer of the American Federa­tion of State. County and Municipal Em­ployees, presented our Union with $46.310donated by federation members to supportthe Boycott and the Strike effort in Ari­Zona. William made the presentation dur­ing a speech before the 6,000 farmworlcersand supporters that attended the memorialMass at the Del Webb Towne House June4.

William Lucy was introduced to the pe0­ple by Tony Orendaln. Union Treasurerand director of the Union's organizingefforts in Texas. The $46.310 were col­lected during AFSCME's recent convention

in Houston. Texas after a call for sup­port by Union organizer Eliseo Medina.who is now organizing in Florida.

During his presentation. William stres­sed the similarities ~tween our Union andAFSME in that they are still "strugglingfor justice against those that have thepower within our system." '

He said, "Our own organization has alsomarched in city after city in an effortto achieve justice and dignity for the pe0­ple we represent. We have struggled fromMemphis, Tennessee, New York City toBaltimore and Miami. And we. like you,continue to struggle to achieve decencyand dignity in this society:'

William Lucy was interrupted with cheer­ing and applause as he spoke to the heartsof all present. "The right of a workerto sit as an equal at the bargaining tablewith his employer. is a basic right:' hedeclared. "Martin Luther King said a fewyears ago that if we have nothing to diefor. we have nothing to live for.

"1 believe the right to bargain collec­tively is a right worth dying for and strug­gling for:' he said. "And that is whatyou and I are fighting for--to bring thisbasic right to people who have been withoutpower for so long:'

He announced that at its recent nationalconvention in Houston. Texas, AFSME pas­sed a resolution not only supporting LaCausa, but also to give its total organiza­tional support to the International LettuceBoycott.

He said, "Starting tomorrow, the wordw1ll go out to our 550,000 members: BOY­cOTT LETTUCE". A wave of enthusiasticapplause swept through the people."Also:' WilHam Lucy continued, "through

our political and legislative bodies we w1lltry to do everything possible to help yourepeat that repressive law denying youthe right to move forward in the stateof Arizona."

And he concluded by saying: "Any realmoral commitment to a cause involvesa financial commitment. And our me.mbershave opened up their hearts to La Causaand today we are presenting you with adonation of $46,310. Our organization, alongwith many other fine organizations, havetoo long sat on the sidelines as .thosewith power oppress those without it. SoI say to you, VIVA LA CAUSA."

In accepting the donation for the Union.Tony Orendain said: "As farmworkers. westill don't have the right to put a priceon the sweat of our brow, a right whichshould be sacred because it is the onlyone God has given us. So all we can doto thank Brother W1lliam and his unionis to say, 'may God bless you', and topresent him with one of our Huelga flags,which represents all we have struggledfor during the past seven years."

The donation by oar sisters and brothersin AFSME w1ll help to pay for some ofthe heavy expenses we must bear as wecontinue with our Lettuce BOyfott and ourStrike in Arizona. -

William Lucy. Secretary-Treasurer of AFSME. aDDOUDCeS his Unloa's generous ftnaDclal cClIItribudoD to our 8tI'UgIe. Toay <ZeDdaJJi(left) 1ntroduc:ed William to the 6.000 farmworkers and supporters gathered at die mass. Toay is director of UIdoa OI'IanIZlDg in Texas.

•

Rev. Ben Fraticerli, Christian Church ofNorthern California and NevadaRev. jerry SChaffer, Hunger Coalition ofOhio, CincinnatiRev. Dennis Short, Associate Pastor, Chris­tian Church of Southern California and Ne­vadaRev. Eugene Lichty, Church of the Brethren,Phoenix, Arizona"Rev. Mike Walsh, Phoenix Central ChristianChurch, Phoenix, ArizonaDavid Hernandez, National Farm WorkerMinistry, Dayton, OhioEdwin A. Sander, Pacific Yearly MeetingofFriends, Pasadena, CaliforniaRev. Kenneth Dahlstrom, Lutheran Churchin AmericaRev. John M. Galligher, Episcopal Dioceseof California, San Francisco, CaliforniaRev. Wayne Hartmire,National Farm Work­er Ministry, Los Angeles, CaliforniaRev. Jack Vrellner, Lutheran Church inAmericaRev. Raymond G. Manker, First UnitarianChurch, Berkeley, CaliforniaRev. Howard G. Maddson, Unitarian Uni­versalist Church, Berkeley, CaliforniaPierce Hammond, Philadelphia YearlyMeeting of Friends, Philadelphia, Pennsyl­vania

.Rev. Paul Stauffer, United Methodist Boardof Missions, New York

YorkPaul sedillo, Division for the Spanish Speak­ing, U.S. Catholic Conference, Washing­ton, D.C.Lynn Raude, United PreSbyterian Church,Whittier, CaliforniaSalvador Alvarez, Division for the SpanishSpeaking, U. S. Catholic Conference, Wash-ington, D. C. •Rev. Phil H. Young, Board of NationalMissions, United Presbyterian ChurCh, NewYork .Rev. joseph Melton, Delano, CaliforniaDr. John Sinclair, Commission onEcumen­ical Mission and Relations, New YorkRev. Leo Nieto, National Division, Boardof Missions, United Methodist Church,Austin, TexasRev. Eugene j. Boyle, National Federationof Priests' Councils, Chicago, IllinoisRev.lnchard White, CM, Phoenix, ArizonaPhyllis A. Gifford, Intercontinental Mission,Church Women United Grand Rapids, Mich­iganSue Minor, National Farm Worker Ministry,Los Angeles, CaliforniaRev. Wesley Hodgkiss, United Church Boardfor Homeland ministries, New YorkRev. William J. O'Donnell, Parish Priest,Oakland, CaliforniaNomi Smith, Church Women United, Tucson,Arizona

AND LETTUCE BOYCOTT

Dr. Leo Nieto (center) of the Board of Missions of the United Methodist Church read the religious leaders' statement to thepress at Santa Rita Hall, Phoenix. He and Chris Hartmire (right), Director of the National Far;.mworker Ministry, answeredthe press' questions afterwards. Dr. Nieto was in the eight day of his own fast in support of Cesar at the time.

We have witnessed the strength of CesarChavez' spirit, but we are worried abouthis physical health. We ask all people ofgood will to pray for him during his fastand for his continuing quest for justice forall farmworkers.

Dr. Luther E. Tyson, Board of Social Con­cerns, United Methodist Church, Wash­ington, D. C.Rev. William W. SCholes, National Councilof Churches, USA, Denver, ColoradoRev. John Romaro, PADRES National sec­retary, Los Angeles, CaliforniaRev. Richard Cook, National Farm WorkerMinistry, Keene, CaliforniaFrancis Colborn, Los Angeles Priests'Committee to Aid Farm Workers, Califor­niaRev. August H. Vandenbush, NationalCoun­cil of Churches, USA, Miami, FloridaSister Dorothy Vigil, OP, National Con­ference of Las Hermanas, Houston, TexasRuth· Gilbert, Board of Missions, UnitedMethodist Church, New YorkConstance Myer, Board of Missions, UnitedMethodist Church, New YorkPat Hoffman, National Farm Worker Min­istry, Los Angeles, CaliforniaMeliss Keller, AFSC, Pasadena, CaliforniaRev. John Stevens, Episcopal Church, New

PHOENIX, Arizona -- A group of 40Protestant and Roman Catholic religiousleaders issued a public statement May 25asking for the repeal of Arizona's anti­farmworker law and urging all "concernedmen and women" to support our Union'sInternational Lettuce Boycott.

The statement was issued after the re­ligious leaders met with Union DirectorCesar Chavez during his fast for: socialJustice. The leaders came to visit Cesarfrom all parts of the country at the in­vitatlon of the National Farm Worker Min­Istry of the National Council of Churches.The group attended religious services with'esar Chavez, farmworkers, and our sup­'orters.

Leaders of the National Farm Workerhl'L try met with William J. Kuhfuss,res dent of the American Farm Bureau

r ederation, on May 23 and charged him withl)e responsibility for repressive legislationn Arizona and other states.

The National Farm Worker Ministry in­ned Kuhfuss to attend its next Boardeeung and challenged him to a public

et tp on the issue of Christian respon­lb.hty in the arena of the farmworkers''r 19/,le for justice. Kuhfuss is a prominent<Iy an in the United Church of Christ.

Tht. following is the text of the statem­nt i~sued by the religious leaders:

I

i:i· \\ e have come to Phoenix to be with·n :esar Chavez during his fast for justice.! ,'e come in the spirit of humility because:1 :::esar's sacrifice challenges our own limit-

pd response to the pain of the world.

I\\ hat we have witnessed here is the power

of love in the lives of the poorest workersin America. We have seen the love that

I Cesar Chavez has for his people and we

I have seen the love that farmworkers have

Ifor Ces ar and for their Union. Weare morethan ever convinced that no amount ofpolitical and economic power can stop the

• Non-violent efforts of the United Farm=. Workers. We intend to support thosei efforts.

We ask our brothers and sisters in thechurches and synagogues of Arizona to con­sider carefully the content of the recentlyenacted farm labor bill. Viewed from ourvantage point, it is grossly unjust and shouldbe repealed. We are worried that it willbecome a model for other states. We areconvinced that a body-blow to the farm­workers in Arizona is an attack on theaspirations of all farmworkers in ournation.

We do not seek strife or polarization inthe religious community. But. our commonBiblical faith demands that we express ourconcern for the injustice in agriculture,both the threat of large corporations againstthe small growers and especially the suffer­ing and deprivaion of the'workers and theirfamilies. After years ofhardexperience weconclude that farmworkers must applyeco­nomic pressure on their employers if theyare ever to attain justice. The Boycott istheir most important Non-violent method.It is a simple way for' each person tohelp farmworkers. We urge all concernedmen and women to refrain from eatingor buying head (Iceberg) lettuce unless it isclearly marked with the United FarmWorkers black eagle label.

r"~"RE'lIGioD's"''''IEA5ERSBAc'K'''''FAST--

I

BOYCOT' LETTUCE PLEDGE CAMPAIGNGAINS MOMENTUM!

Mushall Ganz,. director of the UnitedFarm Workers Boycott activities

PHOENIX, Arizona -- Speaking before amassive crowd of 6,000 farmworkers andsupporters after the Mass celebrating theend of Cesar Chavez' fast, Marshall Ganz,director of the Union's Boycott activitiesannounced that the goal of the Union's pre­sent Boycott effort is to get pledges from1,000,000 people not to eat lettuCe untilUnion Contracts are signed with the lettuCegrowers.

Marshall declared, •'The Union's requestthat consumers not eat or buy lettuce issmall in comparison with the sacrificeCesar made during his fast."

He said the Lettuce Boycott is alreadygaining momentum. Strong support camefrom OREGON, where over 200 people, in­cluding labor leaders, students, politicaloffice holders and candidates, and religiousleaders of all denominations signed a state­ment in support of Cesar's fast and theLettuce Boycott.

Their statement said in partthat,"We arefasting today, Saturday, May 27, to join withCesar in his sacrifice. Our fast is a smallsacrifice compared to those that farm­workers have made to form a Union.

"We further pledge not to eat head let­tuce until the Strike of the lettuce andvegetable workers of California and Ari­zona has been won.

"We call upon all who believe in justiCeto join us in giving up lettuce so that themen and women who pick it may receivejust returns for their honorable and nec­essary labor."

State Representatives and labor unionpresidents' were among those who signed.Former U.S. senator WaYl!e Morse alsotelegramed his support to Cesar.

Frank Licht, Governor of RHODEISLAND, telegramed C~sar saying, "We inRhode Island support efforts of farmworkersto obtain justice. Our state purchases arelimited to Union farm products," .

In ATLANTA, Georgia, the Atlanta LaborCouncil endorsed the BOyCOtt.

Boycotters in BALTIMORE, Maryland,have pledged that for each head of lettucesold in Arizona, where an anti-farmworkerlaw prohibiting secondary Boycotts will gointo effect, they will stop 50 heads in theircity.

In BOSTON, Massachusetts, 300 peopleparticipated in a vigil in which local re­ligious leaders blessed water as a symbolof Solidarity with Cesar's water-only fast.Boston has been a leader in the pledge­card campaign.

In DENVER,Colorado, 80 people partici­pated in a weekend fast which was brokenat a mass the follOWing Monday at the city'sF arm Bureau headquarters, where the par­ticipants pledged to continue abstinencefrom lettuCe. Participants inCluded fourState Representatives, a State senator andan Auxiliary Bishop. Additionally, theUniversity of Denver has pledged to buyand serve only Union lettuce.

Twenty-two Michigan State Legislatorshave pledged not to eat lettuce in DETROIT,Michigan. Also Leonard Woodcock, Pres­ident of the United Auto Workers, hastelegramed Cesar declaring his support ofthe lhlion's efforts.

At a press conference in SAN FRAN­CISCO, California, pledges were forthcom­ing from" U.S. Congressmen Philip Burton,Ron Dellums, Don Edwards and Ken Mead,State Assemblymen Will Brown, John Bur­ton and Leo McCarthy, and State senatorNick Petris.

At a dinner in TRENTON, New jerseyfor colunmist Jack Anderson recently, par-

~i~~i:i~~r:.umpedtheir lettuce into garbage:l,...,

U.S. Congressman William Green has en- .dorsed the Boycott in PHILADELPHIA,Pennsylvania, along with that city's AFL-CIO and CIO Labor Councils. The J;3ishopof PITTSBURG has held a mass for Cesarand for the Boycott.

In SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Bishop Floresendorsed the Boycott and sent a letter toall other American bishops asking theirsupport.

The ST. LOUIS, Missouri, Labor Councilhas endorsed the Boycott, and the Carpen­ters District Council there is having bumperstickers printed in red, white and blue de­claring, •'Hard Hats for the Lettuce Boy­cott".

Washington State University announced inSEATI1..E that only Union lettuCe wlll bebought and served there.

8 • June 23. 1972 • EL MALCRIADO " ,

State Zip _

Mail to:

City _

I pledge not to eat or buy lettuce untilgrowersagree to nego­tiate Contracts with the United Farm Workers.

Address _

I pledge to tell my friends about the Lettuce Boycott.

VIV A LA CAUSA,

I pledge to raise the issue of the Lettuce Boycott whereverI see lettuce (e.g. , conventions, fund-raising dinners, airplanes,restaurants, church dinners, dinner parties, etc.).

Name _

I support your Non-violent efforts to bring justice to America'smigrant farmworkers. I stand with you in your fast for the "Spiritof Justice. of

Dear Cesar:

Coretta SCott King (above) greets well-wishers before her press conference. Joan Baezcomforted Cesar at the hospital in the 23rd day of his fast (below).

Help La Causa...... . :.~;:.: ~ : ;.;." ::::.~. ,".'

/ilAKElHf.tEt~u eeaoV~Dl~[]~~E1>9I i

"t;

She again praised Cesar and the struggleof the Union, and urged militant Non­violence in the face of the kind of op­pressive legislation recently passed herein Arizona.

On Saturday, June 3, Joan Baez also paida personal visit to Cesar at MemorialHospital where he had been taken severaldays earlier after he suffered severestomach cramps caused by his fast.

During a press conference at the SantaRita Center after the visit, Joan said shehad come to Phoenix hoping to persuadeCesar to end his fast. She was asked,

'Why do you support Cesar Chavez?"She replied: "Cesar Chavez is a beautifulsoul who has worked more than 12 yearsto help farmworkers find a better life. Hehas chosen Non-violence as a tool for socialjustice even though it is not too popularto do so these days."

Joan expla'ined that Cesar was in goodspirits because of what his fast had ac­complished so far. She said, "And I amhere to do anything Cesar asks me to doto help La Causa:' Joan also promisedshe would help Boycott Lettuce.

When asked about her latest peace ac­tivities, Joan explained she was organizinga women and children's march to take placein Washington in the near future. The pur­pose of the march is to protest the re­newed bombing of the Viemamese peopleby the U. S. Government. She said the peacedemonstrations and marches which havehappened since the late sixties have keptthis country from becoming a dictatorship.Joan declared, "We must continue thestruggle to create a society and a govern­ment in which the values of truth, decency,love and sharing are finally cherished as themost important. We must struggle for asystem of life that is truly based on thesacredness of human life:'

Joan answers rerorters' questions at Santa Rita Hall, site of ~sar's fast in Phoenix.

-SUPPORT CESAR'S FASTPROMISE TO BOYCOTT LETTUCE

Visit C'esar

PHOENIX. Arizona - - Coretta SCott King,widow of slain Black leader Dr. MartinLuther King, Jr., and Joan Baez, folk singerand fighter for peace, came here duringCesar's fast to show their Solidarity withhim and to support our Lettuce Boycott andour struggle against Arizona's repressivefarm labor relations law.

Coretta King saw Cesar personally at theSanta Rita Center towards the end of thethird week of his fast. She held a pressconference afterwards in which she saidthat "the struggles of Black people and thefarmworkers are a common struggle." Shesaid that struggle is "a struggle for eco­nomic justice--the right to live is reallywhat it is--the right to organize, the rightto Boycott, the right to Strike in order toget living wages."

She called Cesar "one of the truly Non­violent leaders, in the tradition of my latehusband."

Coretta said the Black community is"very sympathetic to the struggle here:'She added, "1 would urge Black people tojoin in this struggle, because it is fortheir own benefit, as well as the farm­workers."

Asked by a reporter if she supportedthe Lettuce Boycott, she answered "Ab­solutely!" to which a brother in the au­dience replied--"Right on\"

Coretta King is President of the MartinLuther King Center for Social Change inAtlanta, Georgia, and said the Center ofEconomic Action division of the organizationwas especially interested in helping in thefarm worker struggle. She was accompaniedby Tom Porter, Program Director of theCenter.

After the press conference she spoke toan overflow crowd of farmworkers and oursupporters who had come to see her andattend the Mass which had been held nightlyat the Santa Rita Center during Cesar'sfast.

Caretta Kingand Joan Baez

EL MALCRIADO. une 23 1972 • 9

Farmworkers carry their dead brother, Romulo Dom(nguez Avalos, to his final resting place Feb. 15, four daysafter he was shot down without reason by an agent of the Immigration Dept. More than 1,000 farmworkers fromall over California came to his funeral. It is needless killings such as this that the Union is trying to preventwith its sit-down policy when armed guards enter Union fields.

EL PUEBLO CON

IVICGOVERN

on

Farmworker ­

Killer FreeBail

until all of the ranches are Unionized.- Awell-organized worker can not only defendhimself against unscrupulous armed im­migration officers whose enforcement ofthe law is dictated by their own whims,but also. the worker will have the meansto obtain dignity and justice. jQue viva elCamite de Rancho de Giannini Farms!

BLYTHE, California--Richard Krupp,former Blythe policeman accused of mur­dering farmworker Mario Berreras herelast month, has been released on $5,000bail and a fund for his defense has beenstarted with the support of Blythe MayorRichard Farrage.

As reported in EL MALCRIAI:>O lastedition, Krupp shot Mario through the headafter a minor automobile accident in whichMario was involved. The Blythe PoliceDepartment refused to bring charges againstKruPP,but he was eventually arrested andcharged with murder by the RiversideCounty Sheriff's Department after threedays of demonstrations headed by Al Fig­ueroa of the Union Office in Blythe.

Krupp's release on $5,000 bail was ar­ranged by Riverside County Deputy DistrictAttorney Gary Scherotter. Such bail isconsidered unusually low for such a case.

On Thursday, June 8 Krupp was offici­ally indicted for murder by a grand jury.The degree of murder was left open forthe trial jury to decide. The grand jurytook no action on the bail granted byScherotter, so Krupp remains free.

Krupp' ~ defense committee includesRichard Farrage, Mayor of Blythe; An­thony Reale, a counselor at the local ju­nior high school who has opposed the localFreedom School supported by the BlytheU~ion Offi~e; Bennie Alexander, ~4.. :.n. stCIty CounCIlman; a former Highwa::"': ­trol officer named McFarland; and dReiland, a real estate broker.

At a pre-trial hearing on June 14, Krupp'slawyers argued for a change of venue(moving the trial to -a different site) onthe grounds that a ..segment of the so­ciety of Blythe and Riverside County aredemanding his (Krupp's) prosecution." Thereference was apparently to the Chicanocommunity and the demonstrations organ­ized by Al Figueroa demanding that Kruppbe arrested and tried follOWing his killingof Mario. ..,

These demands hardly seemed unjusti­fied, siRcy many eyewitnesses saw Krupp_shoot Mario through the head as the latteroffered no resistence whatsoever.

Jud~e Slaughter denied the request ofKrupp s attorneys for a change of venue.and set the trial for July 24 in Indio.

BLYTHE

SANTA MARIA, California -- PaulinoPacheco, Director of the UniOn in SantaMaria, reported that during the last weekten farmworkers have been poisoned bypesticides used in the strawberries.

He said the ten workers work for oneof the largest strawberry companies inthe Santa Maria Valley. At the same ranch,two workers have died in the fields withinthe last two months.

Alberto Luna died in early May. He felldead in the fields. Doctors reports say he"died of a Iheart attack." Workers be­lieve he died of pesticide poisoning.

Another worker died near the end of June.Doctors say he died of a brain tumor, butwitnesses say the worker not only com­plained of head pains two hours before hedied, but was also vomiting a lot.

The grower says the workers are justnervous because of deaths that have oc­curred so far. And the examining doctorssay the ten workers are suffering fromallergies, bad nerves or colds.

Paulino Pacheco said a petition is beingCirculated by the workers demanding aninvestigation of the deaths and of the pes­ticides being used, and that each workerreceive a full medical examination. Fortyworkers have signed th e petition so far.

SANTA MARIA

TenFarmwor ers

Poisoned

-"'.laim. they were insulted. And when we com­plain to the authorities, they never listento us'"

We were also told by the workers thatthere are still many ranches that are notUnionized, where illegal alien workers areemployed. They explained: "Recently therehave been many families looking for workon the ranches in this area. but the growerswon't hire them; instead they hire illegallabor because they work for lower wages.For us this is a dual problem--the illegallaborer and the Migra. The non-registeredillegal workers don't have the right tostruggle for justice. If they protest at allabout payor work or conditions, the Migrawill ship them back to Mexico. But aslong as they don't say anything and allowthemselves to be used as scabs. the Mi­gra doesn't bother them'"

One example of this, according to ·oneworker: ..... when we were on strike -wewent to the Immigration Office in Fresnoto tell them that some growers were ille­gally using non-registered aliens as scabs.But when the Migra went to the field andsaw our picket lines, they just stood aroundsaying they weren't authorized to go intothe field. They didn't do anything aboutenforcing the law against illegal labor ona struck ranch until our strike got lotsof publicity--then they were forced toact. But only then:'

The workers concluded this interview bystating that the only solution to all ofthese problems is to continue the struggle

The entire central Valley of Californiawas envolved in this campaign. FromEast Los Angeles to San Francisco thepeople opened their hearts to the farm·workers who came to campaign from ruralareas. •'The presence of the farmworkerswas a breath of fresh air for us", saidone housewife expressing the feelings ofmany.

During the McGovern Campaign a UnityMass was held at Good Shepherd Church inBeverly Hills. National Field Office Di­rector Richard Chavez was the speaker atthis mass in memory of RObertF. Kennedy.Richard stated, in summary:

We are here to honor Robert F. Kennedy,and four years after his death we stillfeel the sadness of his passing. But it isalso a joyful day because four years laterwe are here to follow his example. Hewas a man close to farmworkers. He cameto us at a time when we badly needed hissupport, back in 1965. He came to us at asupport, back in 1965. He came in allsincerity and he understood our needs andanxieties even though he came from adifferent backround. He ·was open to people.Throughout the land today there are prob­ably many masses being said for RFK, butthe greatest tribute we can make is to goout and do the kind of work we are doingby getting out the vote for a man who w1llfollow in the footsteps of Robert F. Kennedy.GEORGE McGOVERN.

however, there was no violence on thisoccasion. ,

The second encounter with ·the Migrawas during the first week of May. Ac­cording to the Ranch Committee, aboutsixty men were working together: .....assoon as we saw them we shouted for every­one to sit-down. Some of the people wereworking at a distance and didn't hear thesit-down" order right away. But soon theMigra was all around us--all the workerssat down. There were many agents--theycame in six cars:'

EL MALCRIADO: "They arrive en mass,don't they?"

Ranch Committee: "Yes--they surroun­ded the whole field. Like an army. Yes,they come from everywhere:'

When EL MALCRIADO asked why the'workers are so supportive of the Union'ssit-down policy, the workers stated: "Mostof the Union members are very criticalof the immigration people because they treatus like animals. They fall upon us--yel­ling at us--and even though we answerwith all due respect, they continually askunnecessary, often insulting questions."The workers continued: ..... and that's whythe people resent them so much. And aslong as they continue going to Unionizedranches, the workers will Sit-down. It'sa form of protest in memory of Avalos,whom they assasinated. The immigrationofficers have killed many people, but theyalways say that the person tried to jumpthem. They also insult the people and then

Dolores Huerta, Vice President of UnitedFarm Workers, directed the successfulfight to reach the Spanish-speaking people(D. - South Dakota) in the California Pres i­dentail Primary, June 6. Sixty-seven (67)percent of the Chicano vote in the State ofCalifornia voted for McGovern.

In a grass roots door to door campaign,Dolores and Union volunteers explained thatMcGovern came from an agricultural statebut that he was not afraid to support theUnited Farm Workers and our Boycott ofLettuce.

Senator McGovern was present in Phoenixduring Cesar's fast. He also came to visitthe national headquarters of the Union atLa Paz severl months before receiving theUnion's enforsement. The Senator won thehearts of Union members as he explainedhiS objectives and desires. After Unionmembers voted on their choice for Presi­dent, McGovern received an official ea­dorsement.

Perhaps the most impressive part of thecampaign was the presence..ol farmworkersin the cities of California. They ~ame fromthe major rural areas of the state andcampaigned in the cities. Delegationsarrived from Santa Maria, Oxnard, Salinas.and Coachella. The NBC 1V was on hand inLos Angeles to cover the unprecedentedaction of rural workers going door to doorthrough the city campaigning for ~cGovern.

• Non-violent sit-downstrike

• In memory of RomuloAvalos

WORKERSACT

AGAINSTARMED

AGENTS

DINUBA, California-·A few months agoRomulo Dominguez Avalos. friend and bro­ther Union member. was assasinated inthe Livingston. California area while wor­king on the Cal-Mission Ranch. He wasshot to death at close range by EdwardNelson, an immigration officer.

Following the assasination. Union direc­tor Cesar Chavez said: "ROJmUlo Avaloswas very young. of a good family, he wasan honorable man. a good worker activelyengaged in our struggle. His unjustifiabledeath was at the hands of an armed, des­potiC and arrogant immigration officer whohad not been provoked by this young, hum­ble and unarmed worker'"

On February 15, 1972, the Union RanchCommittees notified all of the growersof the Union sit-down policy they hadjust adopted as a necessary measure ofself-protection against the violence per­petrated by law enforcement officials. AtUnion meetings throughout the. state themembership unanimously voted to stop workimmediately and to stage a sit-down when­ever any armed official--sheriff. immigra­tion officer. or policeman--came into afield under Union Contract.

This" new Union ruling has been putinto practice twice within the last month­and-a-half by workers at the GianniniFarms, a company located near Dinuba,California.

EL MALCRIAOO visited Dinuba and talkedto the members of the Ranch Committeewho represent the workers at Giannini:Ellseo C. Mendiolo, President; AntonioVuquez, Vice-President; Homero Serna.Treasurer; Ramon Bivero, Secretary; andGuadalupe Castro, Sargeant at Arms.

They explained that the "Migra" (Immi­gration Department) had been there twicesince the new ruling and that twice theyhad protested their presence by staging asit-down. The first time, about mid-April,a crew of 19 men was working separatelyfrom the other crews when twelve immigra­tion officers arrived and immediately de­manded to see the workers' papers. Theworkers immediately sat down and all workstopped. We were told by the Ranch Com­mittee that these officials arrived in theircharacteristically arrogant style--blockingall entrances to the fields with their cars-­that they were well armed. Fortunately,

I I • lG \ jae lQ,;!L.J~-"....:.~----'lc...LL...8!UlLA.d1JlaI.AJL-~ ~~~__~ -- "'c

• POISON DRIFTS IN FROM NON-UNION FIELD

.'AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONERS OFF'ICE SAYSILLNESS "PSYCHOSOMATIC"

• WORKE'RS TO SUE NEGLIGENT GROWER

ParathionPoisons~3 Farmworliers

REEDLEY, California -- Thirteen farm­workers, all Union members, were hos­pitalized May 17 after they were poisonedby Parathion, one of the most dangerouspesticides used in agriculture. They werethinning nectarines on the Dargatz Ranch,which is managed by Ballantine ProduceCompany, when they started to get sick.

Parathion is a highly toxic phosphate­based pesticide that attacks the centralnervous system by destroying the bodyenzyme Cholinesterase. In concentrateddoses it disrupts the nerve impulses tothe body's vital organs. The pestiCide isso dangerous its use is prohibited by UnionContracts. Ballantine has signed a UnionContract, but the pesticide drifted in froman adjacent field belonging to James Brandt,a grower who has not yet signed a UnionContract. One of his workers, RamonCarrillo was spraying the pestiCide eventhough it was a very Windy day.

Raul CantU, President of the Ranch Com­mitte representing the workers of Ballan­tine Company, who ws one of the personspoisoned, told EL MALCRIADO: ·'On themorning of May 17, we were thinning nec­tarines and we had started about 6:30 am.As we were working we saw a man spra­ying something on the field next to the onein which we were working:'

"The man was wearing a mask. He hadalready sprayed one section of the field.And it was not until he had almost finishedanother section that he informed us hewas spraying. But he did not tell us hewas spraying Parathion. He just told usto move somewhere else:'

Raul said the foreman, David Salazar,moved them to the other side of the fieldabout one hundred yards south of wherethey had been working. But the move was

to no avail because "that was a very Windyday."

He explained, and the rest of the workerswho were poisoned agreed, that "we workedthere until about 8:30 am and we were al­ready complaining to the foreman that thepoison was making us sick. Some of thebrothers were feeling dizzy and otherswere vomiting. Some complained about athick tongue. One of them, CauhtemocSalazar was vomiting alot. And then, David,more of the others and then myself:'

The thirteen workers poisoned were: RaUlCantU; David Salazar; Cauhtemoc Salazar;Miguel Angel Cortinas ; Juan Angel Cha­pa; Militon Rodriguez, Jr.; Candido Sala­ar; Jesus Luna, Jr.; Guillermo Cortina;Jose Guadalupe Hernandez; Monico Sanchez;Jose Marfa Molina, Jr. and Justo Alfaro.

After hearing about the poisoning, Gil­bert Padilla, Vice-President of theUnion and Director of the selma Union Of­fice, went to the field immediately. Hetook the worker who at that time was thesickest , Cuahtemoc Salazar, to Sierra

,Kings Hospital in Reedley and told therest of the workers to clean up as quicklyas possible and report to the hospital.

Gilbert ..,insisted that the workers stayin the hospital an extra day just to makesure there would be no fatalities. Allhave gone back to work except for JustoAlfaro who is still seeing a doctor. Je­sus Luna has also had to go to a doctortwo more times.

All agree that this accident happenedbecause the person spraying was not beingcareful, but that it was really the grower'sfault because the spraying was not pro­perly superviSed.

After talking with the 13 workers, ELMALCRIADO went to interview James

Brandt, the owner of the field where theParathion was sprayed.

Brandt said is was "very unfortunate"that this had happened. But, he said, Ra­mon Carrillo, the 'worker: doing the spra­ying, did not know the workers were there.

Brandt was very unhappy with the Fresno,Bee" because it reported that WilliamCunningham of the Tulare County agri­cultural commissioner said: "The opera­tor of the spray rig should have stoppedspraying because of the wind drift. Theowner should have stopped the sprayer:'

The commissioner's office also repor­ted that the leaf samples it tested re­vealed heavy concentrations of Parathiondrifted into the area where the workerswere thinning fruit before they were warned.

According to Cunningham safety regu­lations require spray rig operators to keepthe pesticides within the boundaries of their,own operation.

..And. we don't like this particular kindof spray rig because the spray is so finethe good Lord only knows were all of itwill drift, he said.

Brandt claimed he was very concernedabout the workers although he neverbothered to talk to the workers that werepoisoned.

He said doctors' reports indicate that noone was poisoned by Parathian.

When EL MALCRIADO asked him to ex­plain how it could be denied that the workerswere poisoned by Parathion since they be­came sick at the time the pesticide wasbeing sprayed and the report from theagricultural commissioner's office provedthey had been exposed to large concen­trations of Parathion, he smiled nervouslyand said: "I don't know, I guess there aretwo conflicting reports."

Later, EL MALCRIADO was able to getan interview at the agricultural commi­ssioner's office. When EL MALCRIADOreporters arrived there they found them­selves facing a delegation of five persons:Clyde Churchill, assistent to the agrI­cultural commissioner; Erwin SChultz, su­pervisor for the commissioner's office;Bernis Naylor; , Jim Fr~k, an inspec­tor; and Bill Betts, area supervisor for theCalifornia Department of Agriculture.

During the press conference with ELMALCRIADO, the doctors', reports wereagain Cited. Even though the officialsdid not retract Cunningham's orginal reportthat the workers had been exposed to hea­vy doses of Parathion, they found no di­ficulty in saying that the workers had notbeen poisoned by the pesticide.

Bill Betts suggested that the attacks ofdizZiness and vomiting theworkers sufferedcould have been all "in their minds."Clyde Churchill also said the symptonscould have been "psychosomatic". Theyalso said that the workers who were still

having problems were probably sufferingfrom colds or the flu. All insisted thatEL MALCRIADO. should acCept the doc­tors' reports because they are "profes­sionals".

'But the officials did admit ,the grower,James Brandt, violated pesticide regula­tions by letting the Parathion drift fromhisproperty and that they had sent the sprayrig operator ( not to the grower who orderedthe use of the Parathion on that day )a " notice of violation. "

Clyde Churchill also said his depart­ment would take no action on the poisoningbecause "that is not our responsibility,that's Wlder the jurisdiction of the De-partment of Public Health." When ,he was asked what action the Departmentof Public Health would take, he repliedhe did not know but that it had receivedthe doctors' reports.

Apparently none of the state and countyofficials EL MALCRIADO interviewed thatday knew that some new information had en­tered the case: all thirteen workersWitnessed one other person get poisonedthat day.

. According to the workers, Robert Thomp­son, who they say is the son-in-law ofthe owner of Dargatz Ranch, also sufferedvomiting and dizziness.

EL MALCRIADO talked with RobertThompson and he said: "I saw the workerscome out of the field gagging. I imme­diately went to look for an antidote." Hes aid he walked into the field to tell theworkers what to'do. Eight minutes later,Thompson himself started to vomit. Astudent at Fresno State, be was still cough­ing and vomiting when he arrived therethat morning and had to go to the medicalcenter for treatment.

"I didn't go through anything like whatthese men suffered. I was only in thatfield for a few minutes:' he said. Wheninformed that James Brandt and officialsat the agricultural commissioner's officewere saying that doctors' reports deniedthe workers were poisoned and that thesymptoms they showed were •'psychoso­matic", he said that was just another exam­ple of the racist attitudes of the growersand those that serve them in which theylook upon farmworkers ..as animals andnot as human beings."

Gilbert Padilla and Steve Englehart, oneof the Union's lawyers discount the doc­tors' reports. They say medical testscannot readily prove anything because notnot enough is known about the affects ofParathion, especially its permanent effects.

"But we do know its effects are severe.,nd not imaginary, even though the growersmay claim that with their doctors' reports."they said. ' .

Steve Englehart said the thirteen workersare going to sue James Brandt for the poi­soning. Investigations by La Causa willcontinue.

......_ , ,••"'.., "" ,_.,_.__ "" "', _,.,__- ..II.'.'11'__ 111 , _,.,_11 11 ""11..1111 ,••__11"" 11 _'.._ ""11..'11 "" 1311' .""11 _'_11_ , u"" I ..

THE UNION'S STRUGGLE IN IDAHOThe Treasure Valley of Southwestern FIG HTSID AH0 FAR M

Idaho and Eastern Oregon is an agricul-tural valley where thousands of farmwor-kers work in the sugar beets, onions,hops, fruit and potatoes. In August of1970 a spontaneous strike broke out amongthese workers; the strike qUickly gatheredsteam and became a general strike in the discretion to determine who is eligible toonions and fruit, with hundreds of workers vote, how elections will be scheduled, andtravelling in caravans from field to field. what the bargaining unit for elections willBacause there was no organization existing be. This election procedure can in turn bebefore the strike broke out, it could only used by anti-Union employers to terminatebe sustained 3 weeks. The strike succeeded or prevent peaceful picketing.in raising the wages in onions, but no Idaho farmworkers do not intend toUnion Contracts were signed. let this law stand. Local Union represen-

The farmworkers of the Treasure Valley tatives are campaigning to have the Demo­began organizing under the banner of the cratic party in Idaho sponsor a repealerUnited Far!J1 Workers in November of 1971, of this law. It will be urged, as partwith Ausencio Garza, a farmwor e~aria-or the' party's-plat orm-at the June stateDaniel Sudran, a former VISTA lawyer, Democratic convention. A nationwide Boy­as official Union representatives. A major cott of Idaho potatoes is being preparedobstacle for Idaho farmworkers is the for the future which will terminate onlyIdaho iarm labor law. In March of 1972, with the signing of Contracts with the U­after meeting with a delegation of 30 nion and the repeal of the Idaho farm la­farmworkers and Union organizers, Gov- bor law. The Union cannot and will noternor 'Andrus vetoed a farm labor bill sign Contracts as long as the farm laborwhich had been sponsored by the Idaho law is on the books.Farm Bureau in 1970 because of the farm- Idaho farmworkers have joined farm-worker Strike of August of that year. workers throughout the nation in protestingNo sooner had the Governor vetoed the and exposing the Farm Bureau. The Farm1970 bill, however, than he announced that Bureau headquarters in Boise, Idaho arehe was appointing a committee to draft appropriately located in the J. R. Simp~ot

a "compromise" bill. He appointed 2 fed- building. Mr. Simplot is Mr. agri-businesseral OEO officials to represent the farm- of Idaho--he is the largest potato proces­workers. The other 3 members of the sor in the world, and also owns a hugecommittee were a large hop grower, Phil livestock company, and has interest in fer­Batt, and his lawyer, and a state legisla- tilizers and mining. Repeated calls weretor who owns the largest seed company made to the Boise police by Simplot andin Idaho. Despite picketing and a mass Farm Bureau officials to have the 30and candlelight vigil attended by 200 farm- chanting and singing ("Nosotros Vencere­workers and their supporters, this bill mos", "Huelga en General", "El Aguilabecame law. Negra", "De Colores", "Solidaridad Para

The Idaho anti-farmworker law protects Siempre")demonstrators removed, but thethe crew boss hiring system, assures con- police showed themselves to have moretinued use of dangerous pesticides and backbone than the Idaho state legislators.mechanization without regard to its effect The Farm Bureau offices were also picketedon workers, by withdrawing these as sub- in Caldwell and Moscow, Idaho.jects of negotiations by the Union. It out- Union organizers here have encounteredlaws the Non-violent consumer Boycott. many "no se puede's" but are graduallyIt putS farmworkers organizational rights converting them into "si se puede's."into the hands of a politically controlled Why have many farmworkers said "no sestate farm labor board with dangerous puede"7 The farmworker in the Treasure

BUREAU'S REPRESSIVELEGISLATION

Valley of Idaho and Oregon is a pawn ina game manipulated by crew bosses, laborcamp managers, ranch foremen, and far­mers. The farmworker has been powerlessand must work on their terms. Ifhe doesn't,there is always a plentiful supply of evenhungrier workers or illegals who will workfor less. If the worker won't work on thecrew boss's terms, he is threatened witheviction from the labor camp and black­listed: all of this taking place in a "free,democradc" comitl y.

House meetings given by Union organizershave given workers an opportunity to learnabout the benefits of working under a UnionContract, and to share with other workersand the Union organizers their life's ex­periences working in the fields. Workersrecount over and over again the indigni­ties and dangers experienced because of thelack of toilets and fresh water in thefields. One girl was bitten by a rattle­snake while looking for a place to relieveherself. In the long, hot (often over 100degrees) fields of the Elmer Tiegs farmnear Nampa, Idaho, a worker had to re­leive his thirst by drinking out of a ditchrather than defy the farme by leavingthe fields to get water. It turned out thatthe water was full of pesticides and theworker was unable to wok for the restof the summer. On the large hop ranchowned by John Batt near Parma, Idaho,a worker experienced a severe ear infec­tion because pesticides were being appliedon a very Windy day while he was work­ing.

Dry Lakes Farms and Kondo Farmsnear Nampa employ illegals at $1.65 anhour or less for tractor driving and irri­gating while farmworkers living in town andin the labor camps go without work. Theyare called lazy. If you want to get a jobin Wilder, Idaho, you'd best be on goodterms with Marcos Betancourt (No. I crew

Protest agairist Idaho's anti­

farmworker law.

boss) and Frank Mercer (No. 1 campmanager} and Jose Gonzales or PedroCavazos ("El Espada"). Throughout thevalley, one crew boss offers to sell hiscrew for less money than the next crewboss. Farmers sit back laughing as onecrew fights another for jobs, and as thepeople in town become divided against thepeople in the camps: the end result beingcheaper labor for the farmer and power­lessness for the workers.

After listening to and understandig thehistory of the Union, worker~ here arebeginning to understand that once they uniteunite with their brothers they are a power­ful force for justice capable of winningagainst even the most powerful crew bos­ses and farmers. They understand that,through the sacrifices of thousands of otherbrothers and sisters, a beautiful Unionhas been built with worldwide supportwhich will fight with them in their strug­gle. 51, SE PUEDE!

EL MALCRIADO •

Special El MAlCIADO Series-Part 2

THE FARM BUREAU'SANTI-FA.RMWORKER LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM

Farm Bureau-sponsored Jest.ladoni. aimed at belliDl Ul10Il or......... Ub Lou18 Lopez (rilht) out of die DeJda UId away fromworkers. Their hope is that workers kept ignorant of the Union and ita beDefita will be unable to organize.

• Increasing attacks on our UnioFi• What it means by "secret ballot

eIe ct ions" for farm W0 rkers

This is the second of a series of articles on the American Farm Bureau Fed­eration in which EL MALCRIADO exposes the true nature of this powerful, weal­thy, tax-exempt business empire disguised as a farm organization. In Part Iof the series, we examined the history of the Farm Bureau, its concentratedefforts to promote and expand its numerous business enterprises, its RightWing affiliations and other political involvements and its anti-Union, anti-farm­worker activities.

In this article EL MALCRIADO examines the Farm Bureau's anti-farmworkerlegislative program, starting with its attacks on our Union during the Grape,Boycott to its present attempts to destroy La Causa in Arizona. We also findout what the Farm Bureau really means by "secret ballot elections" for farm­worker,. And we show how the Farm Bureau has consistently opposed alliegisla­tion th~t would benefit farmworkers, such as unemployment insurance coverageand pesticide control.

Information for this series of articles is based upon Dollar Harvest by SamuelR. Berger and various resource materials collected by different departmentsin the Union.

.-.

House of Representatives early in ApriLThe Kansas SB 291 Agricultural Em­

ployment Relations Act was passed bythe 1972 legislature, but vetoed by Gover­nor Robert Docking on the grounds that"its prohibition against secondary Boycottsand Strikes by agricultural workers isunconstitutional. "

Strong support for the law came fromthe Kansas Farm Bureau, as their spokes­man Paul E. Fleener explained that itestablished "appropriate ground rules foragricultural employees to form or join,or to refuse to join, associations or organ­izations of agricultural employees."

(Continued on Page 14)

Idaho citiZens protest the Farm Bureau's repressive policies in Boise May 18.(Photo: Hank Gable)

fluence in support of state Right to Worklaws."

Two other "Right to Work" states. Kan­sas and Florida, attempted recently to Q8ssanti-farmworker laws which would havestrengthened "Right to Work" provisionsin their respective states.

The Florida HB 2008 would have out­lawed hiring halls in agriculture and wouldhave established criminal penalties for vio­lations of the law. Also the measure wouldhave enabled elected pUblic officials toprosecute Union officers. namely harras­sing our United Farm Workers officialsand organizers. Fortunately this bW cUedin a Conference, 9omlT\ittee of the Florida

yet Idaho growers of the Agricultural LaborBoard determine election procedures andvoter eligibility, thus permitting the Boardmembers to exclude seasonal or residentworkers from voting depending on whichgroup will most likely favor the Union.Likewise in Arizona. the growers providethe lists of eligible voters and establishcomplicated and lengthy secret ballot elec­tions, knOWing that when these delayingtactics are completed. most eligible wor­kers will have moved on to the next job.

Since 1948, Arizona has been a "Rightto Work";tate. which is cleverly definedas the "right not to join a Union." Butworkers know that without Union repre-,sentatioIlt, an individual worker has littleor no bargaining powers in negotiationswith his employer.

In a booklet on "Right to Work" laws.Union Director Cesar Chavez and BayardRustin, executive director of the A. PhilipRandolph Institute, describe state "Rightto Work" laws as the "desire ofemployersto preserve their right to discriminateand to exploit." The nineteen "Right toWork" st~tes pay the lowest wages toworkers and have the worst working con­ditions. The creation of the "open shop"(i.e., workers do not have to join theUnion) allows employers to pit non-mem-'bers against members, thus destroyingcollective bargaining situations where nor­mally a united group of workers, allUnion members, exercise their right tonegotiate for better working conditions withtheir employers.

The Farm Bureau has always workedclosely with the National Right to WorkCommittee in their mutual efforts to pro­mote "Right to Work" laws. Naturally,the Farm Bureau is eager to have "Right'to Work" states where powerful employers.especially growers, actively support anit­farmworker bills while effectively intimida­ting their cheap labor forces. Farm Bu­reau literature lists one of its accomplish­ments as having IIserved as an active in-

The American Farm Bureau Federation,along with --all of its state and countychapters, spends most of its time, energy,and tax-exempt money pushing its anti­farmworker legislative program. Farm Bu­reau members, agribusiness growers. sym­pathetic leg~lators, and Farm BureauWashington~robbyistsjoin in all-out effortsto defeat arly legislation which may improveworking ~ living conditions for the na­tion's three million farmworkers.

They are also vehemently opposed toefforts to Unionize farmworkers. Through­out the last few years. the Farm Bureauhas increased its intensive attacks againstthe United Farm Workers Union.

In addition to its anti-farmworker stand.the Farm Bureau has traditionally beenagainst social, educational and welfaremeasures designed to help working people.

Charles Shuman, former AFBF Presidentfor 16 years. who resigned in 1970. is atrustee of the Foundation for EconomicEducation, ~c. at Irvington-an-Hudson, NewYork. Acccprding to author Berger. thisfoundation is " an 'education and research'operation which campaigns against nearlyall forms of government 'interventionism.'including Medicare. urban renewal. federalaid to education, 'paying people to benon-productive.' compulsory education, go­vernment mail service, social security,anti-trust legislation, foreign aid, childlabor laws, and progressive income taxes."

Beginning with the United Farm Workers'Grape Boycott, the Farm Bureau launchedits unceasing attack against the Union.

In the fall of 1968, the Farm Bureauapplied the following tactics against theGrape Boycott:

--threatened to move their national con­vention from Kansas City when that city'scouncil endorsed the Grape Boycott.

- - suggested a counter-Boycott againststores which stopped selling Californiagrapes, despite the organization's policythat the "market place should not be usedas a bargaining weapon."

--called upon Attorney General Mitchellto investigate the Boycott as a possible"conspiracy in restraint of trade." and ifso, to "prosecute all parties involved."

--formed "Freedom to Market Commit­tees", a crucial part of their anti-Boy­cott activities, whose members pressuredlocal grocers to continue selling grapes.The organization was disbanded after itwas discovered to be illegally financed bysome of the growers.

--distributed "buy more grapes" bumperstickers and posters, and anti-Union pam­phlets.

--sponsored JQse Mendoza, "spokes­man" for th self-styled California FarmWorkers Freedom to Work Movement, whotravelled around the country carrying thegrowers' message that "things are justfine among the workers down in the SanJocquin Valley."

--established a special growers' assis­tance -program, led by California Farm Bu­reau President Allan Grant, to providecounsel, ad' ice in labor relations, Unionnegotiations and Contracts.

Now with Cesar's announcement of therenewal of the Lettuce Boycott, similartactics used by the Farm Bureau duringthe Grape Strike are expected to be ap­plied to lettuce.

Though the Farm Bureau was not suc­cessful in its anti-Grape Boycottactivities,it has played a leading role in the passageof state anti-farmworker bills, in additionto the defeat of pro-farmworker legisla­tion.

Two Farm Bureau sponsored anti-farm­worker bills recently passed in the statesof Arizona (HB 2134) and Idaho (HB 498).Both laws tan secondary Boycotts, theUnion's most powerful Non-violent tacticis the Boycott of particular products. Bothlaws provide for "secret ballot elections";

12 • June 23, 1972 • EL MALCRIADO

"interpretations" for what they were. Mil­ler spent much of his time retreatinga-om indefensible positions.

The Farm Bureau is scared. jack Wil­liams 'is scared. Both held farmworkersin such utter contempt that they figuredthey could pass a totally repressive lawand that, like the good little peons theyexpect farmworkers to be, we would justswallow hard and accept it.

They don't understand our strengths. St.Paul says in the Gospels: "My weaknessis my strength:' So it is with us. Weare poor--so we have little to loose. andknow how to endure what must be endured.We have a leader who voluntarily riskshis life for La Causa, and as his body­weakened during his fast. his spirit andours are strengthened. We have untappedsupport, both here in Arizona and all acrossthe country; people with sympathy for thepoor and oppressed. who marvel at thestrength we display in our weakness.

The Strike in Yuma is going welL Wealready have tens of thousands of signatureson our petitions to recall jack Williams.Si, Se Puede.

his information. He answered, "I base that,among other things, on a statement inthis morning's paper:' He could not tellus who had made the statement.

He called Union organizers in Yuma"outside agitators and anguishers:' Hesaid the Strike "is not a Strike". Hesaid that the Union had used violence andthreats of violence. He claimed that heand the Farm Bureau were looking afterthe true interests of the workers.

It wasn't clear just whom Cecil Millerexpected to swallow all this. He had a fewFarm Bureau flunkies there--an old fellowwho writes for the Farm Bureau magazineand a reporter for a right-wing magazmecalled "The American Weekly". Theyobli­goo bim oy asking a few leading questionsand, in one case. by making a speechagainst the Union. But even they wereembarrassed by the utter 'bad taste heexpressed by personally attacking Cesarand his fast--an attack he backed off fromunder questioning from a reporter.

Most of the rest of the reporters werewell aware of the Farm Bureau's strongbias, and most showed enough acquaintancewith the law to see right through Miller's

American Farm Bureau Federation opposedincluding agricultural labor under theNLRA?"

Miller: "I can't speak in the past. Ican only speak in the present."

EL MALCRIADO: "If you're speakingin the present, then, why doesn't this pieceof legislation provide for means of UnionrecOgnition other than secret ballot elec­tions. For example, the NLRA providesfor Union recognition by card check elec­tions and strikes--why doesn't this billdo the same?"

Miller: "Because the legislators didn'tsee fit to put that in."

The Farm Bureau press conference wasapparently precipitated by the strike ofme10n worlters around -Yuma, ArIz•• organ­ized by Manuel Chavez. Miller read froma prepard statement in which he claimedthat ''twenty carloads of out-of-state de­monstrators have ranged through the areaseeking to intimidate and terrorize farmworkers out of the melon fields. ,.

Since EL MALCRIAOO had witnessed theStrike first-hand and had seen local workerseasily persuade other local workers tostrike" we asked him for the source of

Cecil Miller: .....1 hope it wasn't from something he ate.....

PHOENIX.. Arizona -- "I un­derstand that Cesar Chavez has been takento the hospital with stomach cramps. Isincerely hope it wasn't something that heate."

That is how Cecil H. Miller, jr., Pres­ident of the Arizona Farm Bureau, openeda press conference here june I during thetwenty-first day of Cesar's fast for justice.the day lifter physical weakness and de­hydration had forced Cesar into a hospitaL

Miller announced the press conferenceas the Farm Bureau's attempt to "clarifyagriculture's position in regard to this farmlabor relations act that was recently pas­sed and signed by the governor." It wasin fact a vicious attack on the Union andon Cesar personally, characterized by de­liberate misinformation, half-truths andoutright lies.

Miller was hard-pressed to hold to hisoriginal positions under direct questioningfrom often hostile reporters, and had tomodify and even retract many of his state­ments.

For example, Miller tried to make thenormal collective bargaining proceduresound like a crime against the workers."The United Farm Workers organization,in their Contracts which they have managedto, one way or another, bring growers into.have gone out and negotiated with the grow­ers. They have forced the growers intoSigning contracts with them. The growermust then go back to the worker, and havehim ratify this Contract. This to us istotally immoral, unethical and un-Amer­ican."

This hardly seems unusual. much lessun-American, so EL MALCRIADO askedMiller: In your opening statement you spokeabout how the United Farm Workers hadgone to growers and negotiated contractswhich were then returned to the workersfor ratification. How does that differ fromthe way in which ordinary labor-manage­ment relations are carried on?"

Miller: "This I'm not familiar with-­I couldn't answer that:'

Miller had no qualms about telling out­right lies. In his statement he claimedthat the bill "doesn't prevent Strikes inany way, shape or form. It provides themachinery by which the worker can Strike."The bill in fact allows growers a tenday restraining order that prevents strikesduring harvest time. A reporter askedMiller, "Doesn't that restraining periodin effect put a ban on the Strike for thattime?" Miller: '''For that ten-day period,yes:'

Miller praised the bill for prohibitingsecondary Boycotts, adding, "It's incon­ceivable to me where every other segmentof the Union Movement is prohibited fromthe secondary Boycott, why then shouldn'tagriculture have the same protection?"

EL MALCRIADO: "You spoke about howother Unions are prohibited from use of thesecondary Boycott by the National LaborRelations Act. Why in the past has the

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FARM BUREAU

Ausencio Garza holds the Union flag in front of the capitol building in Boise during an .evening candlelight vigil protesting Idaho's repressive anti-farmworker law.

(Continued from Page 12)

Fleener adds, "We think that Strikes arenot necessary."

The Farm Bureau official also warned"farm labor troubles" similar to thosein California with the grape workers wouldbe avoided with the passage of this bill.

Despite strong Farm Bureau and Rightto Work Committee support, only a Gov­ernor's veto prevented this repressivemeasure from being law, at least for thisyear.

As so often is the case, an anti-farm­worker bill vetoed one year is usuallyre-introduced with slight variations-the fol­lowing year. Such an example is Oregon,SB 677, described in the Civil RightsDigest (Winter, 1972) as designed to "ef­fectively prohibit the Farm Workers Unionfrom organizing. It efficiently prohibitedSJi[ikes, picketing, and bargaining on manyk~ items. The Oregon Farm Bureau-­which drafted much of the bill--describedit as "fair to all sides."

But Governor Tom McCall vetoed SB677 recently, declaring it unconstitutional.He explained that its collective bargainingprovisionS were not workable, also. FarmBureau members and growers promise tore-introduce a similar bill in the 1973Legislature.

Another anti-farmworker bill with the fa­miliar ban on Strikes, picketing, Boycotts,and the provision for "secret ballot elec­tions" was recently killed in the New YorkAssembly. New York Farm Bureau Presi­dent Richard McGuire in stating his organ­ization's support for SB 5666, used thescare tactic that the United Farm Worker'sUnion with their secondary Boycotts' 'couldtake over the entire Americall food indus­try."

California, the largest agricultural stateand the birthplace of our Union, is con··unually besieged by anti-farmworker bills.Last year three major bills aimed atdestroying our Union, generally by banning"trikes, secondary Boycotts, and settingup "secret ballot elections" for farmwor­kers under the direction of the CaliforniaDepartment of Industrial Relations, whosedirector is appointed by Governor Reagan,an outspoken opponent of our Union, for­tunately did not pass. Our Union membersand supporters campaigned actively againstthese anti-farmworker bills through letter­writing campaigns, rallies, and delegationssent to Sacramento.

Delores Huerta, Union vice-president,said one of these bills, SB 40 (Harmer,R.-Glendale) originated with the California"Right to Work Committee." Farm Bureaumembers, growers and people with inter­ests in California's multi-billion agri­business strongly supported this bill aswell as the other two, AB 639 (Ketchum,R.-Bakersfield) and AB 964 (Cory, 0.-Anaheim). .

Currently, two bills similar to AB 964and SB 40 are being considered in theCalifornia Legislature~ In place of thedefeted SB 40, Assemblyman Walter W.Powers (D.-Sacramento) has introducedAB 1214. Assemblyman Robert G. Wood(R.-Salinas) is sponsoring AB 9, the sameas Cory's AB 964, except it omits the banon secondary Boycotts. In conjunction withWood's bill, the Farm Labor PracticesCommittee, sponsored by agribusiness in-

terests, started a drive to gather 326,000signatures to place an initiative containingmany of the same features as Wood's bill(provides secret ballot elections controlledby the pro-grower state Agricultural.La­bor Relations Board, and restricts theUnion's right to picket and to disciplinemembers for anti-Union activities) on the'November ballot. This is a precautionarymeasure in case AB 9 does not get outof the Democratic-dominated Labor Rela­tions Committee.

Of course, the California Farm Bureauis actively seeking signatures by foolingpeople into believing the initiative willhelp California's farmworkers. We warneveryone to be aware of these petitionswhich are presently being circulated now:DON'T sign them.

Union vice-president Delores Huerta,testifying for SB 432 (Petris, D.-Oakland),a strong pesticide safety measure in 1971,stated, "It is interesting to note that theFarm Bureau Federation and their so­called "Citizens for Agriculture" commit­tee actively opposed unemployment insur­ance coverage for farmworkers in the stateof California, and the participation of theState Department of Public Health in es­tablishment of pesticide regulations. Theyclaim to be concerned about the rights offarmworkers to choose their own represen­tatives, yet their real intent is to stopthe Unionization of farmworkers ..... ·

Senate . Bill 432 would have protectedfarmworkers with handwashing faCilities,special clothing and equipment, and warningon treated fields and orchards. It diedin the Assembly as the result of grower­sparked opposition. These same growersdo not care to protect their workers fromdangerous pesticides. They are only inter­ested in protecting their crops, therebyinsuring a larger amount of money fromtheir sales.

More pesticide legislation ('>B 21 andAB 246) is being introduced in the 1972California Legislature. One reason groweropposition is so strong is because theyfear that under the pesticide complaintprocedure, workers may try to harass theiremployers. This unfair allegation is un­warrented since Senator Petris insists hispesticide measure contains procedural"safeguards" so that both farmworker andgrower receive fair treatment under com-plaint procedures. .

Assemblyman Jack Fenton (D-Montebel­10) is again trying to pass legislationto cover 235,000 California farmworkerswith $32 million in unemployment insurance.A similar bill he sponsored last year wasvetoed by the Governor. Despite the factthat farmworkers are about the only wor­kers not covered by unemployment insur­ance, growers balk against having to payinto a statewide unemployment insurancetrust fund which already exists, but cur­rently receives nothing from them. FarmBureau members warn that farmworkerswill only work for a few days and thenclaim unemployment. They ignore the factthat farmworkers are conscientious wor­kers seeking steady employment as muchas possible. Petris' legislation limits theunemployment insurance benefits to 26weeks.

On the national scene, former SenatorGeorge Murphy (R -California) introduced,

SB 2203 in 1969, a farm labor bill designedto establish a separate Farm Labor Re­lations Board. The Farm Bureau activelysupported this bill which included a "sweep­ing prohibi~on on Strikes that might re­sult in the loss of a crop and excludesfrom its coverage seasonal workers whospend less than 100 work- days in agri­culture (which excludes about 2 millionof the 3 million form wage workers.)"This bill did not pass but, nevertheless,it posed a real threat to the nation'sfarmworkers.

As our Union gains in membership,strength and power, so does the opposi­tion to us. Any beneficial legislation forfarmworkers is strongly opposed by theFarm Bureau and the rich agribusinessinterests it represents.

Led by its friend, Secretary of Agri­culture Earl Butz, with his battle cry

that our Boycotts are "un-American, Ni­cious and must be stopped: the FarmBureau leads in the battle to deny farm­workers their basic rights and to take,away the strength we need to bargaineffectively with our employers.

The Farm Bureau continues to use itshypocritical slogan Ibout wanting •'freesecret ballot elections for farmworkers.'·But the Farm Bureau-sponsored anti farm­worker law recently passed and signed in­to law in Arizona shows clearly what itmeans by "secret ballot" elections: anti­democratic procedures aimed at depriVingthe majority of farmworkers the right tobe represented by the Union of their choice(see p. 6). And it is indeed ironic thatthe Farm Bureau is pushing phoney "se­cret ballot election" proposals on farm­workers, while it does not permit its ownmembers free secret ballot elections.

Farm Bureau legislation always attempts to destroy the Union's most effective Non-violent weapon, the consumer Boycott.

14 • June 23. 1972 JL..F.L..MLAA....(-lC:.:RR.l.(A.AI:Dl.(O) ~ ~__~ -------------------------------

Edward R. RoybalMember of Congress (D.-California)

Ogden Reid (D. - New York)Member of Congress

We in Rhode Island support efforts offarmworkers to obtain justice. Our statepurchases are limited to Union lettuce.

Frank LichtGovernor of Rhode Island

Ai

Dear cesar and friends:Very much wish I could be with you to

support activefy the-legitimate rights andgoals of the farmworkers in Arizona andacross the nation. From Washington,D.C.,I pledge not only to work on a federallevel for decent livable standards for farm­workers, but. also to refuse to buy or eatnon-Union Icebtrg lettuce. When the rightsof one man, be he a grape picker, lettucepickeJ;' ,or otherwise, are denied, as theyclearly have been in the state of Arizona,the rights of all are in danger. We mustfight~ogether, from Washington, Phoenixand other communities thx:.oughout the coun­try, against the injustices so evident inthis present system where labor camps are

-little more than chicken coops, where back­breaking hours are spent in the fields with­out sanitation, and where even very youngchildren are forced to sacrifice their health.I commend your efforts and your dedication,and I will work with you and for you inevery way I can.

I fully support Lettuce Boycott by theJ.}nited Farm Workers Union. Having beendenied beicl~r rights, farmworkers havehad to resort to a national Non-violent Boy­cott to gain justice and fair wages in thiscountry•.1 join with you in denouncing re­cent attempts by the American Farm BureauFederation and ,others to destroy Move­ment through anti::aoycott'state laws.

Talisman Committee

joseph Pagan, Secretary; Robert Kyler,PreSident, District 1, United ElectricalRadio and Machine Workers of America

The Talisman workers here itt Floridagive our support and Solidarity to thegreat sacrifice you are making so thatwe can have justice. We promise not toeat lettuce until victory is won. VIVALA CAUSA. Long live Cesar Chavez.

We support your campaign to organizefarmworkers of Arizona. We pledge fullsupport of our membership toward LettuceBoycon. Best Wishes for success.

Dear CesarI have fought with your for seven years

now. I will continue to fight and sufferwith you until farmworkers'_ di-gnity is woneverywhere--especially in "Rightto Work"states. My staff mutually shares my feel­ings.

Pete VelascoStockton, California

You have my wholehearted support inyour effort to achieve a decent break andfair share for the farmworkers in Arizona.Best wishes for a successful vigiL

Walter F. MondaleUnited States Senate (D.-Minnesota)

Art Torres

Angela Davis

We extend full support and Solidarity toyou and the UFW in the lettuce Boycott.We work together for speedy and fullvictory.

I have heard of the situation you areprotesting. Please know that my thoughtsare with you and your companions in thiscause. I support you and pledge that youreffort shall not be in vain. The time shallcome when our people shall enjoy the rightsAmerica has promised them. You are nofalone. My prayers are wtih you.

Senator joseph M. Montoya(D-New Mexico)

Coretta SCott Kini

~asar,Our hearts and strength are with you.

Together we will get to the hearts of allpeople who work against the rights of farm­workers, in Arizona, California andthroughout our country. iQue Viva NuestraCausa!

Dear Mr. Chavez,I want to assure you of my full support in

your current struUle and fast for justice.The legislation you are protestini is nothiniless than an assault on the rights ofAri zona's farmworkers. to simple humandignity and a decent life. I am with youand so is every American who believes ins~ial justice. Your selfless act is a deepsource of inspiration and a call to actionfor us all.

WANTED

Dear Cesar Chavez,

I support your Non-violent effort to bringjustice to migrant framworkers.

1 pledge not to eat Iceberg Lettuce. Ipledge to tell all my friends about theLettuce Boycott.

I pledge to raise the issue about theLettuce Boycott whenever I see IcebergLettuce. (conventions. fund-raisers,church dinners, airplanes, restaurants,college cafeterias, hospitals, hotels,schools, supermarkets, etc.)

We stand in solidarity with your efforts toseek justice for farmworkers in Arizona.Our brothers and sisters in the labormovement pledge not to eat iceburg lettuceuntil lettuce workers are granted theirrights to a Union contract. We hope thatyour health and spirit will be sustainedduring your fast and that this sacrifice willstrengthen the resolve of farmworkers.Viva La Causa

john SChreier, Director, AFL-CIO Reiion 11William Marshall, President, MiChiiaItState AFL CIO

Dear CesarYou are the- greatest of all men who

suffers for us farmworkers. We are withyou in your fast--God bless you

Viva La Causa

FSA Ranch Committee, Selma

Once again you fast for justice and onceagain I join with you in thi's our commonstruggle to secure economic justice forfarmworkers. Viva La Causa.

Congressman Phillip Burton(D-CalifoI:Jlia)

Captain Edgar Mitchell

(Ed. -- Captain Edgar Mitchell (Mitch)walked on the moon during the Apollo 14flight, from J~nuary 31 to February 9, 197}j

May our Merciful Heavenly Father be withyou in your struggle for justice.

Rabbi Moshe Cahana

An individual with experience in Child Carecenters to organize and develop a programfor the children of La Paz (national head­-quarters of the United Farm Workers).Please refer all contacts to:

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES OF CHRISTSUPPORTS BOYCOTT

Linda LegerretteeNational Farm Workers Service CenterP.O. Box 48Keene, California 93531

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(4) Encourages individuals and groupsto work against the passage in other statesof restrictive laws such as that in Arizona.

(Resolution passed by the General Boardof the National Council of Churches ofChrist on june 10, 1972 in New York City)

(1) Offers prayers, and urges itsconstituent churches and their members todo the same, for the amelioration of theplight of migrant and seasonal agriculturalworkers in this nation, and particularly inArizona;

(2) Expresses its appreciation, andw ges its COftstiment churches and theirmembers to do the same, for the heroicChristian leadership given by Cesar Chavez,and other leaders of the United FarmWorkers in their tireless and self-sacri­ficing labors to deliver their people fromeconomic bondage;

(3) Directs the units of the NCC andtheir employees to refrain from purchasinghead (Iceberg) lettuce from Arizona orCalifornia (unless it bears the UFW blackeagle label) for any function or purposeof the NCC.

laws such. as the one in Arizona, wherean important agricultural export is head(Iceberg) lettuce,

THEREFORE: the General Board of theNational Council of Churches (NCC)

WHEREAS: Such organization has beenmade possible by economic pressuresbrought to bear upon producers by con­sumers throughout the nation who aresympathetic to the farmworkers' Cause,and

WHEREAS: Similar measures may bringabout the repeal of harsh and restrictive

WHEREAS: Significant improvement has~en achieved in those areas where farm­workers'have been able to organize for self­determination through the United FarmWorkers, and

WHEREAS: The State of Arizona hasadopted a Farm Labor Law which will makethe organizing of farmworkers ineffectivein that state, and

WHEREAS: cesar Chavez has been inPhoenix, Arizona, fasting on water only for24 days at great hazard toh-:is health inorder to convince people of the Non-violentmethods and humane objectives of the UnitedFarm Workers, and

WHEREAS: Farmworkers are excludedfrom the safeguards and protections pro-

. vided. by· legislation-fol'- workel's-in-ethePindustries, and therefore suffer exceptionalhardships, economic exploitation andphys- ' damage from poisonous in­sec as and other occupational con­ditions, and

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