United Farm Workers

United Farm Workers. The United Farm Workers is a labor union in the United States that emerged from the farm labor movement in the 1960s. Co-founded by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta, it became nationally recognized for organizing agricultural workers and pioneering the use of nonviolent tactics like boycotts and fasts. The union's efforts led to landmark contracts and inspired broader movements for civil rights and social justice.

History

The organization originated from the merger of two earlier groups, the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, led by Larry Itliong, and the National Farm Workers Association, founded by César Chávez and Dolores Huerta. This historic merger was solidified in Delano, California in 1966, creating the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee. The union gained its first major contract with Schenley Industries after the successful Delano grape strike. In 1972, it was officially chartered by the AFL–CIO as an independent union. Key events in its early history include the Salad Bowl strike and the landmark Agricultural Labor Relations Act passed in California.

Leadership and organization

The founding leadership centered on César Chávez, who served as president until his death in 1993, and Dolores Huerta, who was the union's first vice president. Important early figures also included Larry Itliong and Philip Vera Cruz, leaders within the Filipino American farmworker community. The union's structure included a board of directors and relied heavily on a corps of volunteer organizers and a network of boycott committees across major cities like Los Angeles, New York City, and Chicago. After Chávez, leadership passed to Arturo Rodriguez, and the union's headquarters remain at Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz in Keene, California.

Major campaigns and strikes

The Delano grape strike, beginning in 1965, was the union's defining struggle, leading to a nationwide boycott of table grapes that culminated in contracts with major California growers. This was followed by the Salad Bowl strike in 1970, targeting lettuce growers in the Salinas Valley. The union also organized a second major grape boycott in the late 1980s to protest the use of dangerous pesticides. Other significant actions included the Fast of 1968 undertaken by César Chávez and the Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act campaign to improve working conditions.

Political and legislative impact

The union's activism was instrumental in passing the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975, the first law in the United States granting farmworkers the right to collectively bargain. It leveraged political influence through alliances with figures like Robert F. Kennedy and Jerry Brown. The union's lobbying efforts also contributed to amendments to the Fair Labor Standards Act and fought against the Bracero Program. Its model of consumer boycotts and nonviolent protest influenced national debates on immigration reform and labor law.

Legacy and influence

The United Farm Workers left an enduring legacy on the American labor movement and Latino civil rights activism. Its symbols, such as the Aztec eagle flag and the slogan "¡Sí, se puede!", have become iconic. The union inspired subsequent organizations like the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and influenced cultural works including the film *The Fight in the Fields*. The lives of César Chávez and Dolores Huerta are commemorated by the César Chávez National Monument and the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Its ongoing work continues to focus on issues of pesticide safety and immigration policy.

Category:Agricultural organizations in the United States Category:Trade unions established in 1962 Category:Organizations based in Kern County, California