3

Carriers in St. Paul, Minnesota onJuly 24.

More than 7,000 delegates and aux­iliary members rose to their feet andgave Chavez a standing ovation as hewas led to the podium by a large

tional A !Letter ~SO~lation

OIarrrers

eegates

Members of the letter carriers' union donated $10,000 to the Wrath of Grapes cam­paign and endorsed the grape boycott.

T he United Farm Workers' boycottof all California table grapes

received a big moral and financial boostwhen UFW President Cesar Chavezaddressed the 55th Biennial Conventionof the National Association of Letter

Letter Carriers Deliver FarmWorkers Big Boycott Boost!

Meneglng Editor:

Armando Garcia

~~11

Netlonel executive Boerd:President:Cesar ChavezSecretary·Treasurer:Peter VelascoFirst Vice·President:Dolores HuertaSecond Vice·President:Frank OrtizThird Vice·President:David Martinez

Asaoclete EdItors:Roberto de la CruzRev. Chris HartmireArturo Rodriguez

Volume 3, Number 8

Food and Justice

September 1986

Editor:

cesar Chavez

Members:

Arturo RodriguezArturo MendozaOscar MondragonBen Maddock

Magazine of the UnitedFarm Workers ofAmerica, AFL·CIOLa Paz, Keene, CA 93570

Writers:Marvin CortnerFr. Ken IrrgangKimberly K Lawson

Photogrepher:

Victor Aleman

Production Director:Paul Chavez

FOOD AND JUSTICE (ISSN0885-0704) is published monthiyfor $5 per year by the United FarmWorkers of America, AFL·CIO, OldHighway 58, La Paz, California93570. Second·Class Postage Paidat Keene, California. POST·MASTER: Send address changesto FOOD AND JUSTICE, P.O. 62,La Paz, California 93570.

2

EDITORIAL

W ho is going to protect consumers and farmworkers from pesticide poisoning?

The Environmental Protection Agency certainlywon't do it - in this century or the next - if they con­tinue their present snail-like pace of clamping down onpesticide producers.

Regulatory agencies are not going to do it - if theineffectual, grower-dominated California Departmentof Food and Agriculture is any example of what needs tobe done.

Legislation? The many toxic disasters and neardisasters across the nation clearly show that relying onlegislation at the city, county, state, or national level forprotection would be about as reassuring as hearing the

:~\ band play "Nearer 'My God to Thee" on the Titanic.And to ask growers and pesticide manufacturers to do

it themselves - along with the equally guilty super­market owners who knowingly sell poisoned produce ­would simply be a waste of words.

The consumer - only you, the consumer - can do it!You are paying good money for your food and you havea right to demand that it be clean and healthy.

If you stop buying poisoned food, such as the tablegrapes we are boycotting, growers will have to quit usingpesticides, manufacturers will have to quit makingthem, farm workers' lives won't be threatened by them,and you, the consumer, won't have to worry about theirpoisonous residues on your food!

Boycotting grapes is the only way we can stop growersfrom poisoning consumers and abusing farm workers.

The marketplace is the only place we can find justice.¥'

"We are again boycotting table grapesto win back all the rights farm workershave lost since Gov. Deukmejian tookover," Chavez said. "But because youas consumers are threatened by pesticideresidues almost as much as farm workersare from working in pesticide-drenchedfields, we will keep up the boycott untilgrowers stop the excessive use of thesedangerous chemicals that threaten allof us."

After Chavez finished his speech,Sombrotto signed a large grape boycottpledge card entitled "The Wrath ofGrapes," the theme of the UFW cam­paign against all California table grapes.He pledged his personal support andcalled upon the delegates and the entireNALC membership not to buy or eattable grapes.

In a dramatic gesture the next day,which was also the last day of the con­vention, Sombrotto announced that theNALC would make a $10,000 contribu­tion to the boycott. "These brothers andsisters are folks who are far less for­tunate than we are," he said, "and weowe it to them to do all we can to sup­port them in their stuggle."

The letter carriers put their stamp ofapproval on the solidarity donation witha tremendous roar and then, followingSombrotto's lead, "took up the chant,"Don't eat the grapes! Don't eat thegrapes!" Y

Stop or Be Stopped

5

farm organically. And it can be done.As in pre-pesticide times, crop rota­

tion can control both weeds and insects.Manual labor, weed-eating geese andbetter cultivation are methods thatwork. Conservation tillage, if used intandem with other organic methods, canstop soil erosion and can help soilmicrobes produce plant nutrients.

Instead of insecticides, predator andsterilized insects can control emergencypest outbreaks while "trap crops" canlure insects away from important cashcrops. Farmers can also use more insectresistant plant stocks.

One farmer in Florida collectsunwanted insects, puts them in a blenderand makes a spray with the mixture. Theresult: the bugs go elsewhere. Mostrecently, the Environmental ProtectionAgency approved testing for a geneticallyaltered strain of bacteria that attackspests and leaves the environmentunaffected.

Pesticide contamination is inexcus­able. The "abundance through chem­istry" myth m~st go. For agriculture andagribusiness, it's stop or be stopped.

I f American agriculture ~nd ~gribusi­ness want to stop pOisonmg con­

sumers, farm workers and water supplies,they must abandon their pesticidedependence and grow food organically.

Statistics show that chemicals havefailed from the start. Between 1942 and1984, pre-harvest crop losses to pestsincreased from 31.3 to 33 percent.Ironically, the list of chemical resistantpests rose sixteenfold between 1966 and1980.

"We have to force the pesticide issuenow," said Dr. Marion Moses, a healthscientist with the National FarmWorkers Health Group. "We must askwhy almost everyone connected withagriculture is delaying the move awayfrom pesticides - and that includesfarmers, government and the univer­sities," she said. "The chemical com­pany delays are obvious," she added.

Many scientists and agricultural exten­sion agents offer an integrated pest­management method to control pests.This method, because it still depends onat least one chemical to control keypests, is inadequate. The only sure wayto rid the environment of poisons is to

honorary escort of delegates fromCalifornia, Texas, and Florida.

Vince Sombrotto, president ofNALC, whose union boasts a member­ship of 280,000, introduced Chavez tothe convention and praised him as alabor leader "who represents all that isbest in the trade union movement."

In his speech to the delegates, aux­iliary members, and guests, Chavezthanked the assembly for its rousingreception and for the support the NALCand the entire labor movement gavefarm workers in its nearly 25 years ofstruggle.

"We absolutely would never havebeen able to endure this long withoutyour support," Chavez said. "And now,when our very existence is againthreatened by growers who ignore thefarm labor law and a governor [Califor­nia Republican Gov. George Deukme­jian] who refuses to enforce it, we comeback to ask you to stand side by sidewith us in solidarity once more."

Chavez then outlined the reasons forthe new -boycott of all California tablegrapes and its threefold objectives: tomake grow.ers guarantee free and fairelections, _bargain in good faith, andagree to "Stop their reckless use ofdangerous pesticides that poison 'farmworkers in the fields, contaminate thedrinking water of people living in nearbytowns, and leave pesticide residues onfood consumers buy at the market.

Chavezprep.ares to take the stage at the letter carriers' convention to thank the unionfor its support.

GUEST COLUMN

Growers Turn ALRBAgainst Farm Workers

pesticides get in my face and eyes. Thepesticides also penetrate my shoes andsocks. "

Because the pesticides irritated theskin on De la Loza's legs and feet, hebegan to scratch the rash. This caused,De la Loza said, the skin to open, andsores soon covered his legs.

"I have worked at Salyer for over 10years," De la Loza said. "And I've seenthem spray pesticides all year long. Theydon't just spray at certain times."

De la Loza has been in the hospital forover two weeks. He has had one opera­tion and has not yet been told when hewill be released. He said that his doctorrefuses to diagnose his condition aspesticide related.

Instead, the doctor told De la Lozathat he has varicose veins.•

It Started As A Rash

R uben De la Loza is in the hospitalwith open sores on his feet and

legs. He said it started with a rash."A year ago, when the first rash

started, I thought it would go away," Dela Loza said. "But it became worse. Itgot so bad that I couldn't walk. That'swhen I went to the hospital. It's relatedto pesticides."

De la Loza is an employee of SalyerAmerican, a cotton ranch in Corcoran,California. He believes that exposure topesticides used to treat the soil is respon­sible for his condition.

As a tractor driver for Salyer, De laLoza said he often has to get off thetractor to adjust cultivators and otherfarm machinery. "When I adjust themachines, the pesticides in the dirt comeup. And when I move the machines, the

Ruben De la Loza's doctordiagnosed his condition asvaricose veins.

•

Jerome Waldie has been a Democraticnominee for governor of California, astate legislator, and a U.S. Congressmanon the House Judiciary Committee. Healso served on the ALRB for eight years.

mon experience in the long struggle ofpoor people.

In my opinion, no farm worker cannow expect help from the ALRB ­given its present leadership. Farmworkers that do seek help risk havingtheir complaint files turned over to theiremployers who will then surely retaliate.The ALRB is now a hollow and patheticshield.

Because of the short-sighted anti­labor Deukmejian administration, farmworkers have no recourse but to do whatthey do best - strike, demonstrate,picket and, most of all, BOYCOTT.•

By Jerome Waldie

C alifornia farm workers wereelated when the state legislature,

led by Gov. Jerry Brown and pressuredby a phenomenally successful grapeboycott, passed the Agricultural LaborRelations Act in 1975. That landmarklaw, vigorously advocated by the UnitedFarm Workers and Cesar Chavez,attempted to give farm workers the rightto organize into unions, a right otherworkers in this country had possessedfor years.

Chavez and the UFW, believing in thefairness and protection of the law,shifted much of their effort andresources away from the boycott andrelied on the California courts to protectworkers. California growers hystericallyfought the act and with the election ofRepublican Governor George Deukme­jian in 1983 successfully eliminated thatlaw as a protection for farm workers.

Growers contributed over a milliondollars to Deukmejian's campaign. Inreturn for the largess, the governorpromised to put the growers in control.

Enforcement of the act has become amockery of justice. Deukmejianappointee Dave Stirling, GeneralCounsel of the Agricultural Labor Rela­tions Board, has ignored the act and hasconverted the board into a tool to fur­ther exploit workers and their unions.

As a former member of the ALRBunder Governors Brown and Deukme­jian, 1 can say that the board has beengutted - turned over to agribusinessand its lawyers. Politicians catering tothe wealthy and powerful, have aban­doned farm workers - not an uncom-

6 7

Baltimore Supports Boycott

9

Grape boycott supporters listen toChavez describe pesticide abuses.

international president of the AmericanFederation of State, County and Muni­cipal Employees, also supported theUFW's struggle.

Later in the afternoon, KennethBlaylock, president of American Federa­tion of Government Employees gaveChavez a warm reception, good supportand invited him to AFGE's nationalconvention.

On the last day of the trip, Chavezmet with Jewish leaders at the OhebShalom Congregation. The AmericanJewish Committee, the AssociatedJewish Charities and the Jewish LaborCommittee were among 20 groupsrepresented at the meeting, arranged byElias Lieberman.

After returning to UFW headquartersin California, Chavez said he could seethe boycott's momentum buildingthroughout the country - that peopleare beginning to come out of the wood­work in support. "People are beginningto understand how pesticide residue onfood relates to the daily poisoning offarm workers," he said.•

Mayor William Schaefer endorsed thegrape boycott and declared July 8"Grape Boycott Day. "

with a mass at St. Ann's Parish. PastorFather Joseph Muth, a friend ofChavez, graciously shared his home withChavez during the trip.

During the day, Archbishop WilliamD. Borders, Bishop John H. Ricard andDick Dowling, executive director of theMaryland Catholic Conference, all gaveChavez support.

Throughout the four-day trip, Chavezwas featured on numerous radio and tel­evision programs, both taped and live.At least 12 media stations had attendedChavez' Tuesday press conference.

The organization Maryland CitizenAction hosted Chavez at a fundraiser.Janelle Cousina, the executive directorof the organization, had walked thepicket line at the Lexington Market.

On Thursday, John Sweeney, interna­tional president of the Service Employ­ees International Union, endorsed theboycott after seeing the "Wrath of

;Grapes" film. He called it a "powerfuland disturq.ing" message.

Tom Donahue, secretary-treasurer ofthe AFL-CIO, met Chavez for lunch andoffered his support. Gerald McEntee,

j

At a noon rally and picket line atBaltimore's Lexington Market, thelargest produce outlet in the city, Chavezoutlined the reasons for the boycott: toforce growers to stop their reckless useof deadly pesticides, to get them to obeyCalifornia labor laws and to protect con­sumers from unsafe pesticide residues onfood.

Among those who picketed at themarket, which was selling grapes, wereMaryland Attorney General StephenSachs, a long-time UFW supporter andfarm worker rights advocate, StateSenator Nathan Irby, who co-sponsoredthe legislature's resolution with Phillipsand Henry Koellin Jr., president of theBaltimore AFL-CIO.

On Wednesday, Chavez began his day

8

Joining Chavez at a Baltimore rally are Eleanor Carry, candidate for MarylandAttorney General (far left), and Steve Sachs, current Maryland A ttorney General(center).

D uring a four-day trip in earlyJuly, Cesar Chavez took the

"Wrath of Grapes" boycott message toBaltimore, the eighth largest table grapemarket in the country.

On the first day of his trip, Chavezmet with the Rev. Wendell Phillips ofthe United Church of Christ for abreakfast and a discussion with otherministers. Phillips was instrumental ingetting the Maryland Legislature to sup­port the grape boycott - the secondstate to do so after Massachusetts.

Baltimore Mayor William D. Schaefer,who had supported a United FarmWorkers grape boycott in 1975, declaredJuly 8 "Grape Boycott Day." He wasjoined by the City Council and theHealth Department.

Andres Rico's wife, Cresenciana, and his daughter, Maria. Cresenciana believes thatpesticides killed her husband.

10

same symptoms that Andres had.The first symptom Andres experienced

was a feeling of fatigue. "Suddenly hewas tired all the time," Cresencianasaid. "Before he got sick he was alwaysenergetic. He was always healthy andnever had physical problems. Two yearsbefore he died he began feeling weak."

Cresenciana is convinced that her hus­band died as a result of pesticide expo­sure at Rosendahl Farms.

Andres was afraid to tell his employer,

"My husband is not a drinker.He's a worker. So you better find

another cause of death. "

Don Rosendahl, he was sick. "He didn'ttell the grower," Cresenciana explained."When workers would tell Rosendahlthey were ill and needed to see a doctor,Rosendahl would accuse them of lying.He said they just didn't want to work."

So Andres shared his suffering onlywith his family and close friends. Thenin November 1984, he experiencedextreme fatigue and his skin and eyesturned yellow. Cresenciana said, "Oneday he went to the hospital. Then hedied. When the doctor told me he diedof alcoholism, I said, 'My husband isnot a drinker. He's a worker. So youbetter find another cause of death. Ithink it's pesticides.' "

According to Cresenciana, her hus­band and other workers were frequently,and illegally, exposed to pesticides. Shesaid that although Andres was an irri­gator, he sometimes applied pesticides.

She said that her husband was neverissued protective clothing or given theproper training required by state law.

Andres primarily applied pesticides tograpes. According to his widow, Andreswas exposed to parathion, paraquat andother pesticides.

At the time of her husband's death,Cresenciana and her four children wereliving in a house owned by Rosendahl.

She said that the grower kicked her andher children out of the house a weekafter Andres died. She also said thatRosendahl cancelled her insurance.Andres had worked at the farms for 15years.

Marina Macias is a friend of the Ricofamily and the wife of a former Rosen­dahl employee. "Rosendahl is a badman," Marina said. "He is seven foottall, and if he gets angry at a worker, hepicks the worker up and throws him."

Rosendahl would not even helpCresenciana with funeral eXpenses. Thewidow currently supports herself andher children on Social Security benefits.Out of this money, she makes paymentsincurred from Andres' funeral.

Several attempts were made to contactRosendahl. The grower refused to returnthe calls.

When Andres died, the illness hadalready affected his liver, kidneys andbrain. The UFW is pushing for a state­level investigation into Andres' death.

Andres Rico was buried December 7,1984. He was 43 years old. His familystill grieves. Y

Andres Rico and his children.

11

UFW Leaders Given Boycott Positions Workers Want Freeand Fair Elections

/'.

/threats: the unionThe result of the

lost the election.In an unfair labor practice charge, the

UFW claimed the company sanctionedand authorized the gunman's actions.The company replied that the meetingoccurred off its property, on a holidayand that the gunman acted independently.

General Counsel Dave Stirling of theALRB, who is often criticized by laborand his own agency for grower favorit­ism, believed the company's version ofthe story and dismissed the charge. Stir­ling is a Gov. George Deukmejianappointee.

"We originally wanted a unionbecause of the sexual harassment andfavoritism on the job," said RosaMorfin, a union representative at theMcCarthy ranch.

"The company still threatensworkers," said Morfin, "And they nowsay they will close operations if theworkers organize - they keep workersdocile and scared."

So much for free and fair elections.¥'

F or farm workers, a free and fairelection means a chance to vote for

union representation without companyharassment. To the California Agricul­tural Labor Relations Board, the sameterm means just the opposite.

In late 1983, the United FarmWorkers won the right to hold a statesponsored certification election at20,OOO-acre McCarthy Farming, Inc., aKing City, California grape ranch. Butthe day before the January 2, 1984 elec­tion, the state, the UFW and the com­pany held a pre-election conference.

During the conference, held to discussvoting procedures, a pro-companyworker pulled a gun, pointed it at unionsupporters and said he would kill anyonewho voted for the UFW.

Five company officials attending themeeting did nothing to defuse the inci­dent. State election officials summonedpolice who arrested the man. By the nextmorning, company officials had bailedthe gunman out of jail and he was backat work where he again threatenedworkers, this time verbally.

Rosa Morfin wants workers to have the freedom to vote in union elections.

MID-ATLANTICRoberto de 1a Cruz31 Aberden Rd.Milton, MA 02186

MIDWESTArturo Mendoza2701 W. Chicago Blvd.Detroit, M1 48206(313) 868-2724

CANADADavid Martinezc/o Lupe Martinez206-15 Gervais Dr.Don Mills, OntarioCanada M3C 1Y8(416) 441-3710

NEW ENGLANDArturo Rodriguezc/o AFSCMEDistrict Council 17m50 W. 23rd SI.New York, NY 10010(212) 924-2662

MIDWESTFrank Ortiz1300 S. WabashChicago, 1L 60605(312) 427-7078 or

922-7632

CALIFORNIAOscar Mondragon1741 S. HarvardLos Angeles, CA 90006(213) 734-8302 or

734-8304

12

T The Wrath of Grapes campaignbegan a year and a half ago. In

that time, the UFW has created a greatdeal of public awareness about the poi­sons used on table grapes.

Now the UFW is ready to take thiscampaign the next step and has staffedthe major grape markets in the U.S. andCanada. Many members of the union'sleadership have been sent to major citiesto garner support for the table grapeboycott.

A national executive board member,Arturo Rodriguez, has been assigned tothe New England area. Rodriguez andhis staff have offices in New York City.

Roberto de la Cruz, the union's for­mer political director has been assignedthe mid-Atlantic states. De la Cruz andhis staff have offices in Boston.

The Midwestern states have beendivided into two sections. Frank Ortiz,the union's second vice-president, willbe in charge of most of the Midwest andis stationed in Chicago.

Arturo Mendoza, a national executiveboard member, is in charge of Michigan.Mendoza and his staff will be workingout of Detroit.

The Pacific Coast is the area assignedto Oscar Mondragon. Mondragon isalso an executive board member, and hehas an office in Los Angeles.

Finally, David Martinez, third vice­president of the union, has been assignedto eastern Canada. Martinez and hisstaff will be working out of Toronto.

All of the union staff would appreci­ate help from consumers and sup­porters. If you can assist the union,please contact the personnel at theaddresses below.

The staff will be stationed in the citiesuntil the growers finally stop usingpoisonous pesticides and treat theirworkers with dignity - in other words,until the boycott ends. y

Bad Faith Bargaining ­A Repeat Performance

Mary Jo and her parents are boycott supporters. From left to right are: Judith, MaryJo, David and Karen Bagley.

From the Mouths of Babes

15

recently been given a school assignmentto do a special project. Mary Jo wantedto study migrant workers. She researchedthe problems common to farm workersand completed a poster.

Then Mary Jo composed a letter withher mother's help. This letter summarizedher feelings about pesticides on grapesand the injustices farm workers face.She sent the letter to editors of localnewspapers and a copy to Cesar Chavez.

Although Mary Jo misses eatinggrapes she said she will continue toboycott. She said, "I feel very bad forthe migrant workers. The sprays [pesti­cides) are poisonous, and those spraysare going into their bodies and not com­ing off. Sometimes they [pesticides) arekilling the migrant workers."

"I am asking you to boycott grapes,"Mary Jo said. "The growers treat theworkers horribly, and when you buygrapes you buy poison." ..

M ary Joanne Bagley of West New­bury, Massachusetts is an

unlikely consumer activist. After all,Mary Jo is eight years old. Yet this childhas a message she wants to shiue.

"You who buy grapes at the stores arein danger of being poisoned," Mary Josaid. "The sprays [pesticides) don'twash off like they should."

Mary Jo became interested in the tablegrape boycott and the plight of farmworkers over a year ago. At that time,Cesar Chavez traveled to Boston toannounce the new grape boycott. MaryJo's parents, Judith and David Bagley,decided to boycott grapes.

"We supported past UFW boycotts,"Judith said. "When I read about thenew boycott, I talked to my kids. I toldthem that we wouldn't be buying grapesanymore, and I told them why. Mary Jo,my youngest, seemed very interested."

Judith explained that Mary Jo had

thetically shut down operations for fourdays in an attempt to force a new cer­tification election. A California courtdenied the petition saying the AFLUworkers had been hired to replace pro­UFW workers in order to force a newelection.

In 1981, a labor judge found Arakel­ian guilty of bad faith bargaining andordered it to negotiate. When the UFWthought it was close to an agreement, thecompany once again wanted to changearticles, just as it had done in 1978.

A judge again ordered the company tobargain in 1984 - nine years after thecertification election.

"We had a few minor disagreementsand we got those out of the wayquickly," said Ken Schroeder, a UFWnegotiator. "But then Arakelian cameback and wanted to change 20 contractarticles saying the economics of thegrape industry had changed."

"They do the same thing over andover again with impunity," Schroedersaid. "They obviously don't want aunion and they've already spent over$100,000 to keep us out - money thatcould have gone to workers." ..

Ken Schroeder, on the UFW staff formore than 12 years, served as the unionnegotiator for workers at ArakelianFarms.

14

D elay tactics, layoffs, firingthreats, a phony union and a

phony strike - these are the tactics800-acre Arakelian Farms of Modesto,California has used to avoid signing acontract with the United Farm Workers.

This story about bad-faith bargainingby a California grower began in October1975 when the UFW became certified asthe bargaining representative ofArakelian's 150 wine grape workers.

For three years after the certificationelection, the UFW and ranch officialsbargained. Finally, in September 1978,the UFW thought it had reached anagreement and submitted a proposal tothe workers for ratification. But,unknown to the union, Arakelian hireda new negotiator and at the nextbargaining session submitted new pro­posals for most of the contract articles.The UFW could not accept the com­pany's offer and charged that Arakelianwas bargaining in bad faith.

In December 1978, a company union,the Amalgamated Farm Labor Union(AFLU), circulated a petition to be certi­fied to represent workers in contractnegotiations. The AFLU members pick­eted Arakelian, and the ranch sympa-

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