The legacy of Cesar Chavez
Cesar Chavez rose fast on the ranks of CSO and soon became president of CSO. He later resigned and move to Delano after his request to organized farm-works was denied by the organization in 1962.In 1962, Cesar founded the National Farm Workers Association, later to become the United Farm Workers .He was joined by Dolores Huerta and the union was born. He went to different states to talk to farm-workers and to talk about his union. In September 1965, this union joined with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, a mostly Filipino union. They went on strike when the Delano grape growers cut the pay rates during the harvest. They had used non-violent tactics because they could never beat the governors by physical force. In 1966, Cesar Chavez and supporters marched 340-miles from Delano to Sacramento, to talk to the government about passing laws which would permit farm workers to organize into a union and allow collective bargaining agreements. While marching they carried Cesar Chavez's flag which was a black eagle and HUELGA (strike) and VIVA LA CAUSA (Long live the cause).Many people that drive by them would stop and march with them and so would other that where in the streets and stores.
Many immigrant farmer workers, Including Cesar Chavez, boycotted
lettuces and grapes to pressure growers to sign a contract with their employees.
“At its height, over 13 million Americans supported the grape boycott”.” ‘The
plight of America's migrant farm-workers had entered public consciousness right
after Thanksgiving in 1960, when TV journalist Edward R. Murrow broadcast a
documentary, "Harvest of Shame," on CBS. For the next decade, Chavez
used a two-pronged approach to build the UFW. But Cesar Chavez soon
realized that the growers had limitless supplies of immigrant farm workers. All
the growers had to do was send some of their loyal people on trucks to Mexico
to pick up immigrant who was willing to work and bring back to work on the farms.
Cesar Chavez has inspired many and is still to this day thanked for his hard
work. He had stopped unfairness for immigrant workers,, he is honored by many
people.
Soon the two groups merged into what became the United Farm Workers
union.
"In the fields, on picket lines, and in meetings, UFW members faced violence from growers and their hired thugs. Another threat came from the Teamsters union, which had signed friendly "sweetheart" contracts with growers to represent the workers without the consent of the workers themselves -- a maneuver that enriched Teamsters officials"
For Cesar Chavez to keep the fight up, he would motivate and preach to the immigrant workers to Chavez attracted a loyal cadre of organizers, lawyers, and others, who were paid less-than-poverty wages, Chavez became the UFW's public face and the country's most famous Mexican American. In 1969 TIME magazine put him on its cover.
"Many people wanted to fight back and Chavez and the UFW also gained attention was by attracting the support of high-profile politicians". The UFW's most important political ally was Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York. In 1966 United Auto Workers president Walter Reuther, asked Kennedy to visit Chavez. After Robert Kennedy meet with Cesar Chavez, they became good friends and help each other in their organization. Cesar saved many people from harsh work that was paid very low just because of their race that should have stopped a long time ago. He helped millions of farm workers, no matter the race, get the respect and money they served for the work they did. But the biggest thing he has done is the organization he created to help farm workers today.
"In the fields, on picket lines, and in meetings, UFW members faced violence from growers and their hired thugs. Another threat came from the Teamsters union, which had signed friendly "sweetheart" contracts with growers to represent the workers without the consent of the workers themselves -- a maneuver that enriched Teamsters officials"
For Cesar Chavez to keep the fight up, he would motivate and preach to the immigrant workers to Chavez attracted a loyal cadre of organizers, lawyers, and others, who were paid less-than-poverty wages, Chavez became the UFW's public face and the country's most famous Mexican American. In 1969 TIME magazine put him on its cover.
"Many people wanted to fight back and Chavez and the UFW also gained attention was by attracting the support of high-profile politicians". The UFW's most important political ally was Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York. In 1966 United Auto Workers president Walter Reuther, asked Kennedy to visit Chavez. After Robert Kennedy meet with Cesar Chavez, they became good friends and help each other in their organization. Cesar saved many people from harsh work that was paid very low just because of their race that should have stopped a long time ago. He helped millions of farm workers, no matter the race, get the respect and money they served for the work they did. But the biggest thing he has done is the organization he created to help farm workers today.