1. In your opinion, what was the greatest victory for the UFW?
"I can't decide between several victories. In 1970, we won contracts with almost all the table grape growers in California after five years of strike and international boycott of California grapes. That was a great win. In 1975, we got the Agricultural Labor Relations Act passed, giving farm workers the right to organize. A huge win. In elections in 1975-1977, we won the overwhelming number of elections in the vegetable industry and drove the Teamsters out of agriculture. That was a great victory. All were very important."
2. How has Cesar Chavez's contributions affected both farm workers and society?
"I am sad to say that Cesar's contributions have no practical effect on farm workers today. They are almost 100% non-union, and in real dollars, their wages are lower than they were when Cesar led the UFW out on a strike in 1965 in Delano. Farm labor contractors have as much power as ever. The gains made in the 1960s and 1970s in the fields have almost evaporated. On a brighter note, Cesar made a great contribution to society. He serves as a powerful symbol, an icon of the civil rights movement for Mexican-Americans. He was a brilliant strategist and an important proponent of non-violent action."
3. How has the state and federal government recognized the efforts of Cesar Chavez?
"Federal, state, and local governments honored Cesar Chavez in traditional ways-- a holiday, a postage stamps, and naming of streets, schools, and parks. Through these honors his status as civil rights icon has been enhanced."
4. What are the challenges farm workers face in our modern day society?
"Farm workers face all the same challenges that they face when Cesar started organizing in 1962. They are not paid well. They have no benefits such as medical insurance or pension. They work in the extreme heat and are exposed to dangerous pesticides. They are exploited by farm labor contractors and growers retaliate if any dare speak up."
"I can't decide between several victories. In 1970, we won contracts with almost all the table grape growers in California after five years of strike and international boycott of California grapes. That was a great win. In 1975, we got the Agricultural Labor Relations Act passed, giving farm workers the right to organize. A huge win. In elections in 1975-1977, we won the overwhelming number of elections in the vegetable industry and drove the Teamsters out of agriculture. That was a great victory. All were very important."
2. How has Cesar Chavez's contributions affected both farm workers and society?
"I am sad to say that Cesar's contributions have no practical effect on farm workers today. They are almost 100% non-union, and in real dollars, their wages are lower than they were when Cesar led the UFW out on a strike in 1965 in Delano. Farm labor contractors have as much power as ever. The gains made in the 1960s and 1970s in the fields have almost evaporated. On a brighter note, Cesar made a great contribution to society. He serves as a powerful symbol, an icon of the civil rights movement for Mexican-Americans. He was a brilliant strategist and an important proponent of non-violent action."
3. How has the state and federal government recognized the efforts of Cesar Chavez?
"Federal, state, and local governments honored Cesar Chavez in traditional ways-- a holiday, a postage stamps, and naming of streets, schools, and parks. Through these honors his status as civil rights icon has been enhanced."
4. What are the challenges farm workers face in our modern day society?
"Farm workers face all the same challenges that they face when Cesar started organizing in 1962. They are not paid well. They have no benefits such as medical insurance or pension. They work in the extreme heat and are exposed to dangerous pesticides. They are exploited by farm labor contractors and growers retaliate if any dare speak up."