1979_03 The Daily Collegian March 1979

              La Huelga spreads to the
San Joaquin, Salinas Valleys
Just two years ago, the UFW's
troubles seemed to be over The Team¬
sters had finally agreed to allow the
UFW to unionize field workers while
the Teamsters would have jurisdic¬
tion over shed and packing workers.
On the heels of that agreement and
the signing of more than 100 contracts
with growers, the UFW finally ended
its boycott of lettuce, wine and table
grapes in February, 1978.
But in January, troubles for the uni¬
on cropped up again when negotia¬
tions with growers failed to produce
new contracts to cover the workers.
Chavez called a strike in the Imperial
Valley against 11 lettuce growers there
The strikes have now spread through
out 30 farms in California and Arizona
and may spread even further
In Huron, 200 UFW members are
striking two local companies, Sun Har¬
vest and Bruce Church Farms, Inc
But the number of strikes in the area
could swell when the harvests intensi¬
fy later this month and in April.
The Fresno Bee recently reported
that an average 9,000 acres of head
lettuce is grown annually in Fresno, ac¬
cording to the county agricultural com¬
missioner's off ice
Ever since strike negotiations broke
down a few weeks ago, both sides have
taken their case to the public. Crower
ad campaigns have been designed to
force Gov. Brown to put pressure on
Chavez to end the walkout, while the
union spokesmen have stressed that
the   workers    only    demand    decent
Chavez recently called for a boycott
on Chiquita Bananas in a move to pres¬
sure United Brands, Inc , owner of Chi¬
quita and Sun Harvest, a huge let¬
tuce grower, toyield to UFW demands.
The union president has also charged
that the growers are not bargaining
"in good faith." Growers have denied
that charge, however, and said that the
union has faltered in recent years and
has issued unreasonable demands.
Spokesmen for the growers have said
that if the UFW strike continues, or
if the union demands are met, there
will be fewer jobs in the fields, higher
grower costs and higher consumer pri-
** To curb the violence, a judge in the
Imperial Valley has ruled that no more
than 100 strikers may enter the fields
to picket at a time. Locally, the Fresno
court has disarmed grower security
men and ordered strikers not to throw
rocks at the strike breakers in the
fields.
Crowers said that Chavez wants a 40
percent increase in wages immediately
J*ey have also charged Chavez and
his followers with trespassing, destroy¬
ing crops and equipment and for caus¬
ing most of the violence in the fields.
One man, a UFW worker, has been
killed, more than 30 have been injured
and more than 160 have been arrested
during the strike. Chavez has blamed
the violence on the grower security
They have proposed a seven percent
annual increase during a three-year
contract, and this, they contend, is con¬
sistent with President Carter's volun¬
tary seven percent wage increase limi¬
tation.
The union has rejected that proposal
and said that it will accept a seven per¬
cent wage increase when the growers
limit their profits to seven percent. The
union has demanded an increase in
wages per hour of $1 50--from $3.70 to
$5.20.
Strike hurt by continuing stereotypes
Continued from Pg. 2
La Voz: You say that you understand
what they' re striking for...
Kozy: 'Yeah, higher wages."
La Voa: Don't you believe they
should get paid better wages for the
work they do?
Kozy: 'Not really."
La Voz: The work you do compared to
the work they do is nothing. You have a
leasure job.
Kozy: 'Oh, it's a leasure job? Too
bad you weren't here an hour ago
when we were unloading the truck, try
that kid I "
La Vox: That's nothing, you're not
in the fields picking the lettuce...
Kozy: "No, I'm trimming corn, it
looks like to me.' (sarcastically)
La Voz: I don't think you understand
what the people are doing, what it
takes to do what they do.
Kozy: 'Well, I also know that most
of them are wetbacks and most of the
money goes back to Mexico.'
La Vox: That's such a narrow-
minded point of view to have.
Kozy: 'You think so, huh? Well,
kid, once you get out in this world,
start working for a living, you find out
what life's all about. Your attitudes
are gonna change too. You're saying
"no, no, no". Hell, you're living at
home, life's gravy. Wait till you see
what this world's like." (Kozy is 22
years old. I am 21 and have spent
many summers in the tomato fields of
Yolo County.)
La Voz: What do you consider a
"wetback'?
Kozy: 'Someone who's not a citi¬
zen of this country, somebody who
comes from Mexico to work In the
fields.'
La Voz: Only from Mexico?
Kozy: "Well, from any country in
the world, anybody that is classified an
'illegal alien'. But most of them are
from Mexico, and that's why we say
that.*
La Voz: Why the name -wetback*?
Kozy: "I don't know. Somebody
gave it to them a long time ago. Uh,
wetback - it means 'without papers'
doesn't it? No, that's *wop*. I don't
know why they're called that. That's
the name they got.'
The interview was conducted on.
Feb. 16. The sign has since been re-'
moved, but the damage has been done.
Who knows how many shoppers were
swayed by the sign, and developed a
misguided stand against the United
Farmworkers?
Not that the future of the United
Farm Workers rests on what Conti¬
nental does. The problem is that if
more 'produce managers* abuse their
positions like Craig Kozy'i, the Farm¬
workers' fight for unionization will be¬
come fabricated into an economic
threat to consumers.
They're not a threat to anyone, actu¬
ally. If you consider wanting to improve
their living and working condition, and
position in society, a threat, then you
have something to be afraid of.
But not from them, from yourself.
Cesar Chavez
visits Huron
Huron-Huron is one of those out-
of-the-way towns tly t most have heard
about but never visited. It is the typi¬
cal small farm community - a main
street and just a few stores - that has
apparently   changed   very   little   for
There is little to see there and even
less to do, but last week was an excep¬
tion, because March 6, Cesar Estrada
Chavez, head of the United Farmwork¬
ers of America  (UFW)  led a march
The 52-year-old former field worker
arrived with more than 600 other union
members and supporters to reaffirm
their faith in the current lettuce strike
in California and Arizona. Caravans
of strikers and supporters poured into
the town to see Chavez, and gain
strength from each other to Continue
the struggle
As the hundreds lined up for the
march, the spirits of "La Causa*
filled the air and shouts of encourage¬
ment frequently rang out "Boycott
Chiquita Banana* signs and red and
black UFW flags were excitedly waved
by the crowd as television crews and
photographers reported the event.
Just as the orderly three-mile march
began, Chavez stepped from a car and
joined the column. He tried to take a
modest posture but the TV crews and
frantic photographers made obscurity
impossible.
Chavez looked fatigued but-comfort¬
able among his people. The short dark
man was, as usual, dressed simply in
dark slacks and shoes, and a gray-
checked pendleton shirt.
He was calm and quiet throughout
the march, but his marchers were un¬
restrained, shouting slogans and urg¬
ing others to join the line. But many
chose to Just watch the event from the
sidelines as the most exciting event of
the day passed by.
The column threaded its way through
the town, past rickety houses, police
check points and lush fields. The line
stretched to some 400 yards until,
nearly two hours later, the marchers
headed back into the center.
There they pressed back into an aud¬
itorium and moved towards the podium
to get a closer look at their leader.
When Chavez did move forward to
speak,the applause was deafening.
In a high-pitched voice, punctu¬
ated by gestures, Chavez told the
strikers in Spanish that they had to .
make sacrifices to gain their 'fust'
demands. And he told them to be proud
they were farmworkers.
"El trabajo del campeslno es el mas
importante del mundo " (The work of
the field worker is the most important
job in the world.)
'Today we earn more money titan
before, but we are poorer,* said Chav¬
ez in Spanish. Inflation has negated all
progress the union has made; in 15
years of struggle the farmworkers have
only gained 50 cents in real spending
Chavez made sure they got the mes¬
sage by always returning to the central
theme: "Esta huelga es la huelga de
mas dinero." (This is the strike for
higher wages.)
I
Ij
Pride, unity joy
found among la gente
I used to regret not having been able
to play a part in the farmworker
movement during the late 60s and
early 70s At that time I was so young
I hardly understood what was hap-
As I grew older and became aware
of the significance of the UFW it
seemed as if the days of marches,
conventions, boycotts and doing my
part in 'La Causa' wen* over. But
it seems as if the life of the farmworker
is one of a constant struggle, and
again the fight is on.
to once again assemble for the march
I was astonished that Chavez' place ir
the line would be directly behind mc
throughout the march.
As he took his place behind me
turned around and looked at hin
He reached out his hand to shake mini
I felt very proud to be able to pa
ticipate along with Cesar in the march.
I could hear him speaking to UFW
members and I could see the joy in
their faces at being able to speak
with him, and could identify with their
I saw one very old man who was
almost blind led up to Chavez and
greet   him   with   much   enthusiasm.
^c^a^WW March
Recently, I was able to experience
being a part of a struggle. I was able
to attend a UFW march and rally in
Huron. As I arrived in the tiny com¬
munity of Huron, along with other
Fresno State students, I could sense
the excitement in the air as throngs
of people began assembling for the
three-mile march in anticipation of
seeing Cesar Chavez.
There were very old men and wo¬
men, middle aged farm laborers,
young teenagers, college students and
even tiny babies.
All around me I could hear every¬
one speaking in Spanish and keeping
an eye out for the arrival of Cesar
Chavez. As I stood there along with
the others waiting, along came a brown
car and a smiling Cesar Chavez step¬
ped out to be rushed at by his joyous
supporters, and the overanxious
media I kept trying to see Cesar
Chavez and keep from being shoved
and stepped on.
After a few minutes the confusion
died down and people slowly began
He apologized for not being able to
march. Chavez thanked him for his
support, and warmly shook his hand.
In another incident a frail woman
was also led up tp Chavez. She told him
that she wanted very much to march
alongside him, but since she was very
weak she could only march a short
distance. Chavez spoke with her again
thanking her and interwined his arm
through hers for the short distance
she marched
I saw other people who hadn't
marched drive up in cars and run up
to him and shake his hand. I could
often hear people exclaiming, "Miro
lo alii esta' and excitedly point at him,
others would run up to him and take his
picture. All of this made me feel
respectful of him because of the sense
of security he brought to everyone.
Throughout the march people sang,
with the mariachis accompanying
them. They waved their flags, their
symbols of hope, and shouted "Viva
Chavez' and *Vfva la huelga*
I could feel a strong sense of unity and   it   see mo
among everyone. As the march came As the sun
to an end people became more excited ending ot the
and the shouts became more intense. i had attended
I looked back to the end of the column share in such a
rewarding experience.
On the Wire!
MEXICO CITY UPI-A series of
earthquakes that hit Mexico killed
five persons and injured SO, flattened
three buildings in Mexico City and
damaged 174 others, authorities say.
Latest reports show two persons died
in the capital during the tremors
and three others were killed in the
southern state of Cuerrero, including
a nine-year-old girl and an elderly
man  who  suffered   a   heart   attack.
The quakes, which registered
7.75 on the open-ended Richter scale
Wednesday, also totally destroyed
three buildings in the capital and
damaged 174 others, some of which
have been evacuated, authorities
said.
SAN DIEGO UPl-The father of a
man accused in the December killing
of two Calrfornla Highway Patrolmen
near Sacramento held a press con¬
ference Thursday, urging Chicaoo
leaders to help his son get a fair trial.
And the leader of the Chicano
community organization that sponsored
the news conference charged that the
arrest of Luis Rodriguez Jr, 23,
■ould be linked to 'the historic mis-
..-eatment of minorites by law en-
t jrcementofficers.*
Rodriguez faces murder charges
in the death of CHP Officers Roy
Belcher and Mike Freeman, who'were
shot to death along Interstate 80 in
West Sacramento Dec 22
Arrested with Rodriguez Christmas
Eve was Margaret Klaess, 10, who
was later granted immunity from
murder charges in exchange for her
testimony against Rodriguez.
She admitted that she was in the
car with Rodriguez when it was stopped
by the CHP officers the night of the
Luis Rodriguez Sr. of Los Angeles
Thursday suggested the Yolo County
Sheriff's Department may have
violated US Postal regualtions when
it obtained a copy of a love letter
apparently written by his son to. a
woman other than Miss Klaess.
It was after reading that letter that
Miss Klaess apparently decided to
testify against her boyfriend, the
elder Rodriguez said.
'They painted a picture of Klaess
as a little teen-ager who was badly
taken advantage of, but that's just
not the case,' the father said at a news
conference sponsored by the San
Diego based Chicano Rights Organi-
*She Is a very streetwise gilt who
The father called on Chicano com¬
munity organizations to press for a
fair trial for his son. Herman Baca,
director of the Chicano Rights Organi
zation, also addressed reporters Thurs¬
day.
'Our first concern is to get this man
a fair trial,' he said. Baca suggested
Rodriguez' arrest was part of "the
historic mistreatment of minorities
by law enforcement officers throughout
the southwest.'
BERKELEY UPt--The University of
California Student Senate has refused
to reverse Us hotly-protested decision
not to fund a campus appearance by
black activist Stokely Carmichael.
Carmichael had been invited to
speak by the ethnic studies depart¬
ment, which gets $120,000 annually
in student funds to finance speaking
engagements and numerous other
projects.
The student senate must aoorove
the expenditures, and such approvals
are usually routine Speakers such as
Dennis Banks, Cesar Chavez and
Jarnes Baldwin had no trfltible.
But when a proposal to spend
$1,500 on an honorarium, travel and
publicity expenses for Carmichael
came up last week, it was rejected by
a 17-11 vote
Anti -Carmichael senators com¬
plained that he was 'anti-Zionist "
They said Carmichael was free to speak
on campus but that the students
should not have to pay to hear his
"anti-Israel* views.
should not be rejected because of his
political views.
But no member who had voted
against Carmichael last week was
willing to request reconsideration, so
under the rules the senate was barred
from revoting on its decision.
However, the senate adopted a
resolution on a 15-11 vote which
declared that future speaking engage¬
ments should be considered solely
on the basis of financial Impact, and
not on  the basis of  the  speaker's