On this day in Labor History the year was 1970.
That was the day that the United Farmworkers went out on strike against California lettuce growers.
The UFW had led a successful boycott against grape growers that had drawn national attention to the harsh working conditions and low pay of those who harvested our nation’s food.
In an effort to keep the UFW from organizing lettuce workers, some of the growers had signed contracts with the Teamsters Union.
The UFW argued that these contracts did not represent the workers’ best interests.
As thousands of workers went on strike, Cesar Chavez called for a national boycott of non-union lettuce.
In the lead-up to the strike an estimated 4,000 workers attended a meeting in Salinas, California.
One worker, Antonio Sagredo explained the importance of the action.
The El Malcriado “Voice of the Farmworker, newsletter reported his words, “Let the people and the government of the United States know that we are ready to work—but that we must have what we ask. It isn’t very much. We don’t ask the impossible—only that they look upon us as human beings. We have the same ambitions that they do. We have families. We have rights. Why must they continue to treat us like beasts of burden and look for a thousand ways to bring us down.”
That December Cesar Chavez was jailed for leading the boycott.
Putting pressure on the growers through encouraging the public to boycott non-union harvested food was a key tactic for the farm worker’s movement.
It impacted the bottom line of the growers and moved them to sit down at the bargaining table.
April 9 - Lee Surrenders to Grant
April 8 - John L. Lewis Takes on Henry Ford
April 7 - Flora Tristan is Born
April 6 - Rose Schneiderman is Born
April 5 - Massey Mine Explodes, pt. 2
April 4 - Massey Mine Explodes, pt. 1
April 3 - Lincoln Freed the Slaves, Ford Brought Them Back
April 2 - Trouble in the Sweetest Place on Earth
April 1 - The Promise of 1946
March 31 - Hospital Workers Stand United
March 30 - 15th Amendment Adopted
March 29 - West Coast Hotel v Parrish Decided
March 28 - Partial Meltdown at Three Mile Island
March 27 - FE Strikers Battle Police at Harvester
March 26 - Police Attack UE Amid ‘46 Strike Wave
March 25 - Centralia Coal Mine #5 Explodes
March 24 - Exxon Valdez Runs Aground
March 23 - Texas City Refinery Explosion Kills 15
March 22 - ERA Passes the Senate
March 21 - Truman Signs Loyalty Order
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