An interview with Cesar Chavez

I mean Cesar Chavez is opposites. In delay now on the 40 acres it's been the thread's time in a long time since I've been here Caesar and a lot of things seem to have changed and yet a lot of things still seem to be the same. I saw you last night at your house and it's still the same house. It doesn't seem to have changed very much. The union seems to be getting very successful you are still living. You haven't become a big labor boss. I don't think considering your but your living conditions on the other hand it's beautiful to see the 40 acres in a real office building put up. So I went by the penthouse last night and I notice people are still sleeping on the floor there like we used to. So things change and things remain the same what. What would you say to the KPFA audience that had followed the strike from the beginning. About what has changed and what has remained the same here.

And where we are today. Well the people haven't changed. I mean people are the same people you know and the struggle of the same struggle. I think that there's no apparent change. I've greatly you know because we now have is that being in 10 different offices throughout town we're now in one office. But that work goes on like before you know I mean probably the same. Is not except for you know by a long shot and I still you know you can find now you know considerably to the point we have been successfully trained. Contract over there you know there are a number of contracts and very happy about it. When. We speak to duration.

That we only have about 70 percent of the population is signed up for 17 years so that's not to eat too much success rates on success from zero to 17 percent but that well a lot of people I know have EPA grants for the first time this year in a long time and it's probably a good thing because I think some of the growers a good shot in Duff were in such a hurry to get the grapes to the market that they sell a pretty dream deferred to me much I got. It's good that I've forgotten what good grapes. Yes that's why you know they're getting better known as the season progressed Yeah 17 percent of the table grapes in the valley here now that are the state that's Arizona and California. I see as I recall or you're also working at it and I get that I understand the lawyers and I was on it. Today it's chief negotiating a contract over there. We have about maybe close to 50 percent of the industry or a bit more signed up

for there. And that. Alone with the table great contract we've got and other things we now number may be in a very small degree something like me 30 different craft. Well that's a big change isn't. That where you know three months they were great glories have a little bit of either thing you know and so on when you sign up with them you sign not only for the right very upset as you are now but Dr. Chopra I gather Coachella as a percentage is much higher. Right because it comes right about 8 percent of the table great for the state and we have about maybe 90 percent of that 80 percent saying that those rates successfully. Now people know about you know and remember this struggle about a Jar Jar and I guess most of further what happened after that is. The contract that you were forced into by arbitration didn't have a successor clause

and to Georgia ended up selling most of its life and in a way it seemed for a while that that struggle had gone down the drain. Of course it was a great psychological and other organs. Have you gotten any of that line. Yeah Joe Yeah we have almost all of the land that the GA own been in I vant there's about 11000 acres we have a big percentage of that back and we have a small percent of the other land they don't own it. The service around here that I know we have a big battle with them and it's more got signed up more of that land will be coming back and a union contract and that the land is still there you know with two other growers and it's still the lines are still there and of course. They're still producing and we're still back from what you have signed up quite a few of those other girls and especially around diving in I mean we've been quite

successful too I mean it's also it's a small percentage of the state. They were great in that we signed about maybe 70 percent of that. The only large real large one holding out there is. Tomorrow which is dearly no we're still doing better with and it's the number one target again. It's great scary to air out label a day and we're asking our friends not to. Eat grapes but particularly in very freshly not to not to eat great. Yeah well I think that's a very important feature because I have seen a lot of confusion among people who get the impression from reading the papers that you're signing up five Can you grow as a day and get the impression that by now it's just about all the gripes that are on the market are you in gripes. Oh I doubt that that isn't true not at all God is still continuing and you know we have our people that are working as hard as ever if not harder all over the country and well in the Bay Area we're having

some real success and also some real battles you know the boycott by a long shot. We sure have a 3 percent of the great to consider you know and I. It's a mistake to think that the Boy Scouts over there all the grapes are union by a long shot. So the consumer has to make a point of looking whether there's a you know like an hour and asking right or on others. Now it states even more crucial because they could be very well some confusion in some regards to sleep without having to sign every you know you know we we want to make sure that everybody who is concerned with is met with and been supporting I felt like five years to know that it's not over and they should die insisting on the union label and how about in the Dillinger area itself. You started cracking it I gather. Well we have in the current Larry we have about four sites that were already in the lane area we have we signed the Spoto

operation that's going to very interesting because they were among the most violently opposed to the union in my day they were there we were in a relationship with them now that we signed up the Bianco Fruit Company and just recently we signed up the properties which would be the admin story in it and. Brother which is probably in terms of production. Or a close. Second in the industry and then we have. Part of the PPV think she's fine. It's a rare like she devil great crime sign that we've got that through the second contract and also through the American produce. Company contract. Now there's been a lot of news recently and I understand you issued a statement yesterday a

lot of news about the governor. And Mr. Duncan of the state conciliation service and a bunch of growers are. Asking that the conciliation service help in holding elections. What is your reaction to that. Well you know we go very funny for Governor Reagan to offer the conciliation service now into our free elections and to ask that the boycott be suspended for all these talks were going on because we thought it was. We're sure of course that he was and that he wasn't serious and he couldn't possibly serious then we. Don't have a working relationship with the second situation severs its acting director Richard Duncan is. And you have no confidence in whatsoever we would be able to work very closely with the courts have been opposing as it's made someone.

Very professional and ethical remarks about the union being that he's playing a role as a conciliator a public meeting several months back and present in all the contracts we've gotten a fresh grape industry if we have them for anything. They have played a role in it whatsoever. They played a minor role in the first contract in the wind break and they have here we have developed some real great difficulties because he was acting more as an employee or really an obstructionist more than any conciliator. Well of course I remember that even years ago you sent out letters to the guys asking them that and to the conciliation service asking asking for their help. Maybe three four years ago five years ago they weren't much else than that. Well they didn't even answer those letters but say we told the employees three years ago that they could not expect us to strike and boycott for

how long was going to be and then they asked for an election then there would be you know that's what happened in the George Oh yes fight we fought em we struck them with what got him or him right. We had him under tremendous pressure and then they got out of it by offering elections and then they are free elections and that you know might happen and fight where we want without action. We won the elections yeah baby boomers dementia imagine how much. Effort and there will be an energy of energy going into it and back to work and I was taking two bites of her same apple so after a experience we said no more. We're an important election before the strike forces to extract and settlement here. Is that right recognition and we get a sanction I see so those elections that we've heard about that have been changed. Let the record show there was only one election and there was no what about that was some very confusing story about the end having lost an election. And although we haven't lost an election yet what happened is first of all we gave the Larson Brothers for the election that was an outright

election conducted by vicious committee and they make very few Protestant ministers. From Sprint in that one week. We gave me election just as they wanted to prove to the industry that we represent the workers and we won by like 99 110 percent. Now the rest of the votes have been ratification. And the ratification of. What courses for the workers to read or fight the contracts overwhelmingly but they carry some of their education with really really a figure in the public demonstration where they want to you know not yet. So it has the essence of an election and we want everyone we got down to the CAIB that's the Coachella imperial distributors controls about 30 growers. And then the labor contractor and

his wife went out and told workers that if they read the contract it was a job and then they set up some of the workers some of their foremen to stuffing the ballot box. So when your action was held it was being supervised by the federal mediation conciliation service. We want up with. Well there were a hundred and fifty or a hundred seventy votes and we had about 50 to 60 more votes and people present who some people were voting five times in 10 times. There was it just right that the ballot box stuffing and who knows you're running this election will be supervising rather Federal Mediation Service was there you know but you see the people who were committing this infraction where the labor contractor for that particular company. So he was just very people going to work. Well we had a guy in the audience twice you know you guys voting 10 times coming within about five thousand two ballots you know. So anyway. That's how the election was

lost. But we appealed and of course you know all the evidence we got in the election and wearing it for votes against us out of 170 something. So in fact that story you know you happy lost any election we have an arson election and this just shows that sounds very much like what the judges tried to Paul originally. They're all action rights that right or wrong. Let's see. Any fair election but really for a number of workers and I intimidated and they know it they're not going to their jobs who are for the union in front of me. People want the union that they know what genes are doing and what they've done and they know workers who are relatives of those who work in the cities and a union contract. So a very powerful argument for unions here. And now much more now because the whole. The development of the last five years with great natural mentors that educational value to the workers. So. It's

a. It's an accomplished fact to work if they want to you and I. Well you certainly are so many people quickly. Do you know what have you been able to keep track of how many members you have wealthy their membership department at Gambino with extra work and everything because the most that are in the book about people who are really on the point that yes so we have a manpower shortage here but you know we're going to the best we can i don't know how many members we have bigger coming in you know great fast now that their contracts are being signed. You would have a nice night that a lot of work at your present $90 for example has been signing up workers. Who are pretty joining who aren't working. It was hard going up I guess in Calexico just as they crossed the border.

Well but we have a we have our we opened up an office in Calexico to organize the workers the green cards to come across the border you know and we've had tremendous success. Mail sent out several hundred of them in all and they're paying do they're not and they're now working under contract and that it's increasing their membership it's still ahead of the union membership. It's interesting how workers will create good without having a contract that here but you've got a lot of union members working in places where you don't have that right. Yeah yeah. And then also you know we've been you know since four years ago since seven years that we've been saying our people after it's a contract we've got we must have the tax California state that twice already you have three times over you know and so we think that we have the best of care and all of a percentage that for your pain those who are working under a union contract or on that very special card cannot do all of your contract includes things like health and welfare law enforcement and social Yeah.

Christopher union for all the way. Variance of food and yeah all of the contracts completely How can you offer a plan and we have something that we can develop now we have a problem. The Economic Development Fund invests voyage so much a box explosion to fund the going to be used to develop perfecting food assistance for the aged for you know the Filipino 0 0 0 people be a natural to work but cannot benefit by a contract to assisting around development of health services and educational services cooperative services we also want to spread out to every state standard. We feel very concerned about pesticides in a bot he Holy Writ regular written because the pesticide trade a lot of the country. Oh yeah everybody got everything right are done after challenge every country gets it now that they cannot use. But there are certain things that we are at that certain.

That is certain chemicals that we are both right out from this side of the you know be TNT and. Some such. Well I did come across it related to the same BP family you know they're pretty much out of money and then we have our front restrictions relating to verify and now fire and so forth. But we still have a long way to go because there but there's no research industry knowledge of the parasite industry knows what a certain model of a particular pesticide will do to a pest but they don't know what it will do to a human being you know so that's where we're at we're at and we get a long ways to go you know. Now under health and welfare plan you obviously can't be handling all of the help from needs through the small clinic that you have here. Our You know they are working well right now because some of the reports that they were just in the development stage

not be working both in a doctor's choice and then be plenty in delay no makes payment for the pricey but we hope that someday it will change because we want it with what we have to have it so I think that's the the big issue. One hit we have to work for a plan is not money. Hope eventually you get the money a biggish is the kind of fare was between to get your link stream be interested in therapy and that we won't have to face up by fair means if you try to push me to do it by headwork to tell you they're in plenty and you do still have a clinic here into Langley on Friday actually. Yeah we were in the process now of we have a full time doctors come from the East Coast and maybe another one coming through and that we're in the process the. Company plan so we can start building infamy. I also noticed when I drove by I just sort of automatically headed for one of the two out from the

straight although I heard at the office it moved out arrogance from what I was driving and that's just where I naturally want them ended up in the penthouse and there was something going on there that people told me was that well go to school you know what stuff. Well we had a school run by a very yeah really great guy they came to help us take the kids in school you know they got a guy still pretty well everything High School away down to where you know throughout elementary school and. Teaches them and rights they were. Great to work with them to get them through to to learn but not in a direct it's very I think they're a great system but he has I don't quite understand all of the techniques but kids who are hardly open their mouth at school you know come here and there and become chatterboxes you

know and they're able to do many more things because I neither a practical approach to where you can experiment now but for instance in my own in my own case my own kids and I have ranging from elementary to high school with and through into college now I've noticed a marked improvement in their attitudes in that. The advancement they made is now bigger take longer to the public school because of what the school is something you experience it brings it in great fast you know it might be a phrase that I notice that happen change just push your wife out on the stoep seems to be single handedly trying to cope with a credit union. You know I think it's fair. We're just now getting here in my house pretty grown very rain much and you know yeah it's been a great down with me a lot. A lot of money. It would be much money in fact it was a joke. They care about the thing my food better be good and they're becoming you know trying to get money from the credit you

created going very fast but it's in fact we may accelerate that lifelong if it will be for them. Look for a new car for work and get it to change the subject slightly when you know when this was the National Farm Workers Association before you far. It was primarily if not exclusively a Chicano girl by now of course for you and me and I was not in the timeshare at all racial and ethnic groups but a lot has happened in the Chicano movement in the United States since this union was trying to I think maybe the forming of if you had something to do with it what is your attitude to what's going on in the city. We've got the less you have to deal with. Let's start with the strong our organisation in the Mission District so well you know are coming from that theme.

Still years back and knowing how different the story and I can feel it happening now you know I think if they're happy about that scene is banned by the union. If I eat a lot of work you know for 30 years I didn't really fit in the body of them that it was a very hard very hard to get people together you know and so what I see when I look at you day you know I'm quite happy I do think this was probably the first that made that possible. That's true you know as directional as possible not just middle class people. Workers from workers from work could get together on their own. I think the minority are on their way to be recognized in this country and they think that because of that I think we're going to see democracy

working you know in a different way now. I think that the pressure from other minorities and registering him and in the paper this morning about training in San Francisco. Yes complaining about discrimination you know. Well especially very young and yet they were the last group that we have heard from so yeah we've heard from the Indians and we've heard from the growth of blacks and Mexicans and for the region for and about everybody. So are we not just beginning to get into the get the whole industry into really into the full swing yet. Let's hope this sort of society will get through my complaints and get our demands and so forth. So I think that we should thank you Craig. Well I know you're terribly good for you it's real. Any last words you let it get us through to the KPFA I mean switches follow the strike given the march of the Caribbean this year on the boycott for

years. Yes I want to first of all thank you very much for there. It's the fourth meeting we had for so many years and did let him know that if it is the fourth it would be never cool to get this far. It's a long long way to go you may be years but. We're always said that if we could build a base in California that's the tickets to the Arizona Texas Mississippi and on up Florida and on up to New York State. Reporter. Thanks very much. My pleasure. We hope to see you in San Francisco sometime he married very rich.