Delano grape strike
Encyclopedia
The strike began when the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, mostly Filipino
farm workers in Delano, California
, led by Philip Vera Cruz
, Larry Itliong, Benjamin Gines and Pete Velasco, walked off the farms of area table-grape growers, demanding wages equal to the federal minimum wage
. One week after the strike began, the predominantly Mexican-American National Farmworkers Association, led by Cesar Chavez
, Dolores Huerta
and Richard Chavez
, joined the strike, and eventually the two groups merged, forming the United Farm Workers
of America in August 1966. Quickly, the strike spread to over 2,000 workers.
Through its grassroots efforts—utilizing consumer boycott
s, marches
, community organizing
and nonviolent resistance
—the movement gained national attention for the plight of some of the nation's lowest-paid workers. By 1970, the UFW had succeeded in reaching a collective bargaining
agreement with the table-grape growers, affecting in excess of 10,000 farm workers.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
farm workers in Delano, California
Delano, California
Delano's climate is characteristic of the San Joaquin Valley. The weather is hot and dry during the summer and cool and damp in winter. Frequent ground fog known regionally as "tule fog" can obscure vision. Record temperatures range between 115°F and 14°F...
, led by Philip Vera Cruz
Philip Vera Cruz
Philip Vera Cruz was a Filipino American labor leader, farmworker, and leader in the Asian American civil rights movement. He was a co-founder of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, which later merged with the National Farm Workers Association to become the United Farm Workers...
, Larry Itliong, Benjamin Gines and Pete Velasco, walked off the farms of area table-grape growers, demanding wages equal to the federal minimum wage
Minimum wage
A minimum wage is the lowest hourly, daily or monthly remuneration that employers may legally pay to workers. Equivalently, it is the lowest wage at which workers may sell their labour. Although minimum wage laws are in effect in a great many jurisdictions, there are differences of opinion about...
. One week after the strike began, the predominantly Mexican-American National Farmworkers Association, led by Cesar Chavez
César Chávez
César Estrada Chávez was an American farm worker, labor leader, and civil rights activist who, with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers ....
, Dolores Huerta
Dolores Huerta
Dolores C. Huerta is the co-founder and First Vice President Emeritus of the United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO , and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.-Early life:...
and Richard Chavez
Richard Chavez
Richard Estrada Chavez was an American labor leader, organizer and activist. Chavez was the younger brother of labor leader, César Chávez, who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, now known as the United Farm Workers...
, joined the strike, and eventually the two groups merged, forming the United Farm Workers
United Farm Workers
The United Farm Workers of America is a labor union created from the merging of two groups, the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee led by Filipino organizer Larry Itliong, and the National Farm Workers Association led by César Chávez...
of America in August 1966. Quickly, the strike spread to over 2,000 workers.
Through its grassroots efforts—utilizing consumer boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
s, marches
Demonstration (people)
A demonstration or street protest is action by a mass group or collection of groups of people in favor of a political or other cause; it normally consists of walking in a mass march formation and either beginning with or meeting at a designated endpoint, or rally, to hear speakers.Actions such as...
, community organizing
Community organizing
Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. A core goal of community organizing is to generate durable power for an organization representing the community, allowing it to influence...
and nonviolent resistance
Nonviolent resistance
Nonviolent resistance is the practice of achieving goals through symbolic protests, civil disobedience, economic or political noncooperation, and other methods, without using violence. It is largely synonymous with civil resistance...
—the movement gained national attention for the plight of some of the nation's lowest-paid workers. By 1970, the UFW had succeeded in reaching a collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
agreement with the table-grape growers, affecting in excess of 10,000 farm workers.