Farm Worker's Movement: Mexican Laborers Struggle for Justice

For 100 years Mexicans and Mexican Americans have been the work horse in farms throughout the Southwest. The minority Anglo profited off the majority Mexican unfairly and without question. Mexican Americans worked with the same slavish conditions until 1965 when finally the laborers stood together to protest their injustices.

Mexican farm workers in California at this time worked 16 hour workdays with no breaks for the disturbingly low price of $2 a day. In addition to the laborious work, while on the job Mexican workers were constantly exposed to pesticides. The life expectancy of these workers was 49 years. Because money was tight, as soon as a kid was old enough to work in the fields and support his family, he did resulting in a tremendous educational gap. The average Mexican farm worker had only two years of education. The inequities of education, pay, and working conditions became a rallying cry for the workers. On September 1965 Mexicans walked off Californian fields in protest.

The National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) was formed by Mexican workers. This unified body was the hub for complaints and the sword of action. The NFWA demanded living wages, better education for their children, decent housing, and the right to live without fear.

Shortly after the striking started farm workers realized that their was no strike fund. This meant there was no money to support the striking workers who lived paycheck to paycheck. Without money a strike could not be effective. On September 16 (Mexican Independence Day) a meeting was held by the NFWA where Cesar Chavez, a to be very influential man, was introduced. A plan was constructed that called for striking in unison with the already striking Pilipino people.

As the strike went on the grape growers introduced a strategy of bussing in willing workers directly from Mexico. The NFWA was forced to mix up their strategy. The NFWA decided after seeing how effective boycotts were in the Civil Rights Movement to boycott grape farms.

Farm growers and local oppressive forces in Delano, California resented the Mexican Farm Workers Movement and demanded action. The police force arrested workers and kept them in jail. In most cases the people had not broken the law but were rather thrown in jail because they were "going to break the law."

The inhumane treatment of the farm workers in Delano, California sparked a Senate Migratory Committee to examine the plight. Bobby Kennedy himself interrogated the local Sheriff into devolving the fact that he was arresting people illegally. The hearings opened the mistreatment to the eyes of the nation. After the hearings the Delano Sherriff was discharged from his position.

The NFWA was constantly searching for new and innovative ways to spread their movement and gain support for their boycott of certain grape companies. One idea was a march. In early 1966 a march began in San Joaquin Valley. As the march progressed more and more people joined. With the help of the media the NFWA's efforts paid off. The NFWA has created enough negative publicity for Shinley Corp., (a company the NFWA was boycotting) they were brought to their knees, forcing them to negotiate.

Once the NFWA saw that they could win they decided market Boycotting all grape growing companies in California. This was an effective strategy that had a worldwide effect. Demand for grapes grown in California by some cities in the U.S. fell as much as 22%. Whole countries like Belgium refused to buy Californian grapes. In August 1967 Degeorgio Corporation agreed to negotiate. On July 29, 1970 new contracts were signed by all remaining Californian grape companies assuring improved education, pay, and working conditions for the Mexican farm workers.

The Farm Worker's Movement effected the self determination of the Mexican workers by giving the workers more say in how their lives were lived. They were given more rights than they had, and their kids are no longer predisposed to the farm working lifestyle. The workers earn living wages that they can live off of more easily than the $2 a day they made before the Farm Worker's Movement. The working day was changed to eight hours. If a worker worked overtime they were awarded overtime pay.

The Farm Worker's Movement ended positively, giving workers the freedom, dignity, and respect they deserved.