The Voice of the Farm Worker lEI Malcri 0] Englis~~~'e

The Voice of the Farm Worker

lEI Malcri 0] In Englis~~~'e;;~.'-1~¢DElANO, CALIF. MAY 24, 1967 II

)

"I'm from Zacatecas State in Mexico where I worked planting corn behind two field horses.I've been here for 22 years and done every kind of work there is in the fields. I prefer doingpiece work because on holidays and WBekends my 5 young boys can help me. I have II childrenand 10 of them are still in school. My daughter works in the Union office after school and myfamily supports the strike,

Union is likea ladder."

MANUEL CAMACHO:

"The

Page 2 -- EL MALCRIADO

LITTLE BY LITTLE, lliCALIFOR lA, THE STRIKEIS WlliNlliG. IT IS WlliNlliG lli EACH PLACE BECAUSE OF COURAGEOUSMEN LIKE MANUELCAlVIACHO, WHO HAVELEARNED THE DISCIPLlliE OF, FffiST, STRIK-·ING BECAUSE THE UNIONNEEDS YOU TO STRIKE;AND, SECOND, THE SACRIFICE OF RETUR lliGTO WORK BECAUSE THEU ION NEEDS YOU TOSUPPORT YOUR FAMILY.THIS DEDICATION TOTHE CAUSE IS WHY THESTRIKE IS WINNING.MANUEL CAMACHO ISONE OF HUNDREDS ALL L /OVER CALIFORNIA WHO I /.

FORM THE REAL CENTEROF THE HUELGA. WHENPEOPLE ARE WORKINGUNDER UNION COTRACTS IN THE FIELDSEVERYWHERE, IT WILL

. BE BECAUSE OF MENLIKE HIM. THAT IS WHYWE ASKED HIM TO TALKABOUT HIMSELF ANDABOUT THE UNION.

The strike is I ike onbut surely and even-

have faith in the Union.that keeps bu i I d i nq s low I y

tually bui Ids up enough to win.We will get all of the growers this way. Even in Texas where itis more difficult because thescabs don't need cars--they just walk across the border to get work--the ant moves slowlythere but we will win too,

It Iant

The Union is the best thing for the farm workers.

It The Un i on is like a I odder where the form workerra i ses hi mse I f for his ch i I dren and for futureoenerations.Because only with the Union can we have a just future when-farm workers can be free from allthe misery that all farm workers have suf~ered in their lives and in past generations, As theant keeps buildinp; slowly, we must have faith and we will endure ..

EL MALCRIADO -- Page 3

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El MALCRIADOBOX ~060

DELANO CALIF.

PHOTO CREDI1'S

Second crass' postage paid atFresno, California. Fresno publication Office: 1507 No. PalmEDITORIAL AND BUSINESSOFFICE OF EL MALCRIAOO IS130 ALBANYAVENUE,DELANOCALIFORNIA. Single copy price:

.159 ; subscription price: $2.50 ayear. El Malcriado is publishedbi-weekly by Farm Worker Press'Inc., P.O. Box 1060, Delano,California. i~slJe#G.'

, W\ai lad 5/1?>/67~.

"ETMalcriado," the Voice ofthe Farm Worker, is an independent publication, and is notthe "official newspaper" of anyperson or group. The editorsare solely 'responsible for allstatements and views expressedhere.

Entire Contents Copyright 1967by Farm Worker Press, Inc.

p. 12-18--George Ballisp. 26--Jon Lewisp. 28,29,20--1. L. G. W. U.p. 23--Hank Henryp. 31--John Kounsp. 13--sam Tamashirop. 19--Ernest Lowep.22,25--BillEsher

EL MALCRIADO IS PUBLISHED EVERY 2 WEEKS IN 3EDITIONS:

1. IN ENG LISH AT DE LANOCALIF.

2. IN SPANISH AT DELANOCALIF.

3. IN SPANISH AT MCALLENTEXAS

The men who felt the flame of the revolution fought not only forbread, but they fought for the dignity that every man has a rightto. They fought in order that in the future every man should beable to feel that they had had a part in the destination of theirlives.

Half a century later, in 1967, in California, the enormous gap,the space between the rich and the poor, is even deeper and wider than before the Mexican Revolution. The gap between what isand what can be , is even bigger. The opression and the lies aremore cruel. '

Here we print a story of hope ; of the first breakthrough inthe long strike in Rio Grande City, of more succeses in California,of the triumph of the Union.

It is time for each fhrmworker to decide which side he is on. Onthe side of the men of the revolution, our fathers, or on the side ofthese who are responsible for a half century of opression in thefields. -

jyallllllUlllllllllllunAluIIIIIUlIII_ln_IHlInIlIlllllUIIIIllllUIllIIHHIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHHIIIIIIIIIIII1I1111111111111nllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllli

= =~ E NOW §~ SUBSCRIB i§ 5~ More and more people are finding out ii that a subscription to EL MALCRIADO EL MALCR IADO ~

i is the best way to keep up with the BOX 1060 i~ farm workers struggle. Don't be left DELANO, CAL. Ilout -- Send in this coupon today! 93215

~ FILL OUT THIS CARD AND SEND IT WITH $2.50 TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS I,~ FOR A ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION TO EL MALCRIADO, SENT TO YOUR HOME =I EVERY TWO WEEKS FOR ONE YEAR. II Name I; Address i~ City zip code i~ &~ i~ilUlllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!11I1111I1111111111I11I11I11I11111111I11I111111I111111111111111I1111111I1111I111111I111

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2"I was in the NFWA in 1963 before, the strike. A friend

of mine told me about the benefits of the insurance. Thedues were $3. 50 a month and covered the insurance but wealso knew that the dues would build the Association andhelp make it strong enough for the eventual strike we knewwould happen. I believed in having a strike then, becauseit was the only way to change the system of slavery in thefields. Before the strike I thought of the future of my kids,and I wanted the Union so my children wouldn't have towork in the fields--so that they could finish high school.And wh~n they did work it would be for decent wages.

"In January of 1966 I went on strike after being in a caraccident with a supervisor from Schenleys. I was on thepicket line for 9 months and picketed during the Schenleyand DiGiorgio campaigns. But after nine months I had togo back to work--I am very sad about that. I rarely readEl Malcriado because it makes me sad to see my friendsand their useful ness to the strike. I want to strike but Ihave to work because of my commitment to my family.

I have trouble getting jobs because I was active in thestrike and I support the Union. But I'm not scabbing andI could never do that. Because the growers fear the strength of the Union, they have raised all the wages in the area.Where we used to get $1.10 or $1. 25 an hour, now we get$1.40. But with a Union contract we get good wages--$l. 75per hour.

THE COVER: THE MEN OF THE REVOLUTION


fROM U~ITY COMlS STRl~CTH INHUMAN CONDITIONS

AND WHERE THERE IS NO UNION:

THE PEOPLE'S PAGE

A letter from three workerswhose interview we published inissue #58 of EI Malcriado (see pp.6 and 17).

Dear Editor:

We are three workers who havealways fought to unite ourselvesand form a strong Union whichwould protect us. We know at lastthat only through the Union, byhelping each other to remainstrong, can we defend ourselves;if we continue as in times pastwe would never get anywhere. Wesay this from experience. And wewant-you to print this letter in EIMalcriado for the benefit of thosewho understand little of what theUnion means or of what they cando for themselves by joining it.Before we said that we speak fromexperience because we know howDiGiorgio treated his workers intimes past. But today everythinghas changed; we believe that bosses and growers treating a worker

Dear Sir:

I want to tell you about a typicalgrower-controlled fann town inwestern Fresno County, 45 mileswest of Fresno: Mendota, likeFirebaugh nearby, it is one ofthe two major farm towns in westFresno County. It's povertyproblems aren't much differentfrom those of South America; afew own most of the land, farmsstretch out as far as the eye cansee.

Dan Street is the office managerfor the V. C. Britton Co. and afirst lieutenant in the company'sorganized effort to defeat theiremployees who are trying to geta union contract.

The fight has gone on for 4 years,10 months, 15 days, during whichtime almost 100 people were firedor pressured into quitting; 5 men

as if he weren't human is not newsto anybody, but we think also thateven if we could put what we feelinto words, it would still be veryfar from the reality of our lives.

There is only one way of stop;ping such great abuses by the ranchers and contractors; and that isby becoming one in the one andonly true Union of the farm workers-UFWOC, which is now partof the AFL-CIO. And this way wewill continues fighting until wemake our Union the most powerfulin the entire nation. Whether aunion is strong and its power respected depends on the strength ofits members; each one must makeit strong and see that the contractis completed, because WE ARETHE UNION.

Long live our Union!And our cause!FELIPE B. GARCIATEOFILO V. GARCIAEDUVIJES LUGOArvin, California

have died; 3 men were put intojail for mischief; a 9-monthstrike; harassment by local police; home evictions; there areonly four of the original menleft.

Perhaps someday the Britton Co.will want to continue the endlesscourt battle of the past and tryfor a third time. And until lastyear it seemed that even the Catholic Church in Firebaugh wascontrolled by the farmers.

By the way, Dan Street is president of the Firebaugh BaseballAssociation and Bobby Johnston,its secretary-treasurer, is alsoa farmer. During the strike,Davis worked at Britton as ascab. Anyone for baseball withthe farmers?

J. TRUJILLOMendota, California

FOR HUMANS

Dear Sir:

I am writing these lines be~

cause I have been reading yournewspaper EI Malcriado and Ifind everything that comes in itvery interesting. I am a farmworker and I work for Calflax Co.Ranch. Here we irrigators makeonly $1.10 an hour, and all theworkers that have families andchildren have to suffer throughthis and the terrible conditions ofthe irrigators' labor camp.

The toilets have long ago stopped functioning, there is no lightin the bathrooms, and anyhowthey're about 300 feet away fromthe houses where we live. And thehouses are so old that when itrains we have to put saucepansunder the leaking places in theroof. And when we ask the ownersto fix them, they say yes, butthen they don't" carry out theirpromises.

I am a resident of Rio Grande,Texas, but right now I'm workingfor this company. I would like tobecome a member of the Unionand would like some informationon this. And I also have a lot totell you about this company.

Thank you very much,A FRIENDFive Points, California

EL MALCRIADO SAYS: Dozensof people write every day askinghow they can join the Union. Thedues of $3.50 a month for everyone under 50 years of age covermany things, including a life insurance policy of $1500, the rightto use the Farm Worker ServiceCenter and the Credit Union, avote in the Union's decisions, andthe force of a united front by aswell as for farm workers. Forfurther information write CesarChavez, Delano, California, andsomeday you will work under aUnion contract like the workersof Schenley and DiGiorgio. Joinus now!

Organizing in Arizona

THE PEOPLE'S PAGE


-We-

JANET S. SENIORHood River, Ore.

meal for their families, payingthem the wages they lost thereby.

He lost the ranch in the end, in1936, but he died at 80 a happyman with a clear conscience, andleft a far more valuable heritageto his children and grandchildrenthan riches.

Best wishes. God be with you,or as the Spanish say, "Vaya conDios. "

childhood and adolescence wewould like them to have, nor tokeep worries about the miseriesof old age away from our minds.But these things have not prevented us from doing each of uswhat we can to change and toovercome these worries andmiseries. We do not work apart,but together - with all the forceof "we", all the power of ourUnion-the United Farm Workers' Organizing Committee.

in Arizona our comrade, a veryhard worker, Marcos Munoz, whois helping the Cause and us withhis whole life-a very good organizer-and the one who gave meyour address.

Without mare, your friend,FACUNDO CISNEROSLitchfield Park, Arizona

I am a grandmother 61 yearsold, but remember well how sorryI 'felt at the plight of migrant workers on my father's ranch nearHusum, Wash., 50 years ago.My father often caused indignationamong other growers because hepaid higher wages. I rememberthat he always sent women married workers in from the orchardat 11 a. m. and again 1 hour beforequitting time, to prepare a hot

Dear Sir:

With pleasure I write to you andenclosed send you this money order so that you will do me the favor of sending the El Malcriado tome. I like it very much becauseit deals with the noble cause whichis ours. I salute you with my wholewhole heart and place myself atyour orders because we have here

AHeritage More Valuable Than Riches

Dear Editor:

offices were very tiny, moneyalways went out much fasterthan it ever came in, and thepeople who own the houses andthe land still try to tell us wherewe can't go. But we are richbecause now we are many and wecan decide for ourselves, amongourselves, 'where we can go.

Many of us do not speak English, and none of us earn enoughmoney to provide our childrenwith the happy, comfortable

The Power of

EL MALCRIADO SAYS: Mr.Gomez Gonzalez, you are verypoor. We are very poor. Youhave a small house and no moneyand can go nowhere beyond thebarrio. When we started, our

JOSE GOMEZ O.Robstown, Texas

My dear and respected friends,

I'm writing you these few linesto tell you that I don't want to .work for you because I don't knowany English. I was born in Texasbut I never learned to speak English because I was very much afraid of Americans when I wasgrowing up. In those times it wasslavery for one of the poor if heever tried to do any little thing hewanted because the people withpower and money would alwayswant to beat him up, and theymade us live in Mexican barrios(ghettoes). Because of thesethings I never learned any English.

r worked for a dollar a day untilI got old-and that's nearly fiftyyears. Right now I am 74 yearsold. I have worked hard but I never made any money, and nowall I wait for is death. I have apension from the state-64 dollarsa month-and my beloved wife gets63 a month. I have a little housewith one room, 26 feet by 12 feet.It was already old when I boughtit and I think that it's about 80years old now.

We are very poor. The contractors are the ones who have takenthe money because they don't payus for our work. Sometimes 40and sometimes 50 cents an houruntil now; the strike has raisedthe prices. God bless the wholeUnion of farm workers for thegreat work that they are doing;for the Union is the great hope foreveryone in this state of Texas,which for more than a century hasheld the people in slavery. I believethis will be all-I don't have timeto explain all the unyielding, toilsome years which we have passedin this state. I hope that the Unionand the Voice of the Farm Wor-ker will overcome these miseries.

EL MALCRIADO

In fact, our editor, when informed of your fantasticlegal venture against us, as soon as he had regainedhis breath from laughing, said that he would be happyto engage you in public deb ate anytime, anywhere.That way, the people could decide who is telling thetruth - you or EI Malcriado and the other defendants.

We await some evidence of your sincerity, Mr. P-M.Our pages are open to you now, as they have alwaysbeen in the past. Meanwhile, our pet parrot --ignorant of the Law and not as busy as we are --continues to utter unprintable, perhaps even libelous,remarks about-you. He has a lot to say. Whatabout you?

FOOTNOTES TO OUR FRIENDS:UFWOC's Lawyer says that should old P-M pursue

this folly in the courtroom, it will be thrown out forlack of evidence, leaving him several thousands incourt costs the loser --and we do hope at least a touchwiser.

Anything to say, Mr. Perelli- Minetti? Or is this suitindeed the "last gasp attempt of a desperate man tofurther obscure the facts," as our editor insists itis?

vs.PERELLI MINETTI

Our questions:

Mr. Perelli-Minetti seems to have exhausted his the time the six million hacibeen collected. Anotherwit, understanding, and capacity for speech in the suggestion is that we could work it off- in your fieldsprocess of filing a six million dollar libel suit against at the going rate. By our reckoning that would takeus. As is generally known, Mr. P-M' filed the suit exactly two thousand years, sixteen days, and four~gainst EI Malcriado, The United Farmworkers, minutes at your wage ra~!il. Can you afford to waitGeorge Meany, and just about everyone connected that long? Anything to say, Mr. P-M?with our fight for simple justice and a decent wageexcept our pet parakeet, which continues to slander We cannot print the suggestion our pet parrot made.Mr. P-M from moment to moment. Yet Mr. P-M It might be libelous. However, we are sure he wouldmust now be exhausted, for when he was confronted be happy to repeat it, should you ever drop in atby the publisher of EI Malcriado, with strong evidencl the office.that the suit may be no more than a "fraud and publicity stunt," Mr. P-M replied, "I have nothing tosay. "

But if you should be interested in making the wholetruth known, we will be happy to help you. No threatsneeded. For that is our major concern, too. Again,

But Mr. P-M had''nothing to say" so EI Malcriado if it's publicity you're after, we recognize that aswill publish those simple questions inten~ed for a very human failing. Therefore, we will be happyPerelli-Minetti. Then, perhaps, he will write us to help you puff yourself up and get maxim urn publicsuch another letter as he has written in the past, con- exposure anytime. If you should be foolish enoughfirming much of what we have printed even as he to desire it.tries to deny it. Anyway, our readers will be ableto judge the significance and worth, of his windy libelsuit after reading the questions he would not answer.And that will be the important thing.

*If you seriously intend to prosecute a shoe-stringoperation for this fantastic sum of money, how is itthat not one of the defendants has been served noticeof your accusation? Time is money, Mr. P-M,just as the cost of serving papers to defendants scattered the country over would cost mucho dinero,should you ever be able to find them all. And theLaw does require every defendant. That' s a fact.

*Well, Mr. P-M, if this isn't just a fraud andpublicity stunt, if you really intend to pursue thiscase in the courts, and if you win, really, how doyou expect to collect? Any ideas? Perhaps we cangive you some. Cesar Chavez, one of the defendants,has suggested that perhaps a cooky sale might bea good way to raise the amount: Of course, people

would be awful sick of Perelli-Minetti-Cookies by



ticipate in the election, but theTeamsters refused. Fonzalezhad sent Teamsters into thecamps to try to sign up Almadenworkers, but these workers are10yaltotheU.F.W.O.C. Indesperation, the Teamsters wereinstructed to even pay the workers to sign up with the Teamstersunion. The workers felt insultedby such low tactics and kickedthe Teamsters out of the camp.

Chavez stated: "There is onlyone reason why Gonzalez wouldn'tget on that ballot. He knows hisunion would lose, just as it did inDelano and Arvin, last year. Butby intervening he has forced thestate to halt the elections becauseall parties must be agreed toelections in order to have them.How a man who claims to havethe interests of the workers atheart could take such a step isbeyond me."

den for recognition of the Union.The company agreed immediatelyto call in the California StateConciliation Service to arrangeprocedures for an election.

At a meeting on Monday, May8th, Ralph Duncan, representingthe State Conciliation Service,met with Chavez and Almaden officials, George Morrison andLouis Benoit. An agreement wassigned scheduling a card-checkelection under state supervisionfor May 12th at 10:00 a. m. (EIMalcriado confirmed with National Distillers & Chemical Corpor~'tion which is purchasing the Almaden vineyards that they alsoare in agreement about havingrepresentational elections.)

Shortly after the agreement ofMay 8th was signed, the Teamsters union stated that they toorepresented Almaden workers.The state invited Gonzalez to par-

...or Elections?DELANO, Calif, May 10, 1967.

Cesar Chavez, director of theUnited Farm Workers OrganizingCommittee, AFL-CIO, issued achallenge today to TeamsterFarm Workers Union director,Oscar Gonzalez. Stated Chavez,"The Teamsters have been obstructing organization of farmworkers throughout California.In their latest move, their organizer, Oscar Gonzalez, claims torepresent workers at Almadenranches in San Benito County.The company has agreed in writing to a card-check election. ButGonzalez won't put his union onthe ballot. Now he's either in orhe's out. We challenge him either to fish or cut bait. "

The U.F.W.O.C! organizingdrive at Almaden has been goingon for two and one half years. OnMay 5th, iJ.F.W.O.C. organizing director, Manuel Chavez,made written demands to Alma-

The Teamsters are still "organizing" in their usual man-~ner -- violently. On Friday, .May 11th, Robert Rohas of theTeamsters "union, " while driving, ran into the car of one ofthe U. F. W. O. C. organizers, Eliseo Medina. A few days be-.fore that, a Teamster tried to run down another U. F. W. O. C.or-ganizer, Jre Luna, with his car. Stated Manuel Chavez ofthe U. F. W. O. C., "Oscar Gonzalez of the Teamsters saysthat he is working for the good of the farm workers. But doesviolence help farm workers? Is it good for farm workers tobe run down by cars? Is this how the Teamsters plan to helpus? If it is, then I hope that they don't try to 'help' me!"

Almaden VineyardsViolence

Negotiations at Christian BrothersThe United Farm Workers

Organizing Committee isholding meetings with Christian Brothers to negotiate acontract for their ranch inNapa County.

Soon after the card-checkthere certified the U. F. W. O.C. as the legal bargainingagent for the workers at thatranch, those workers started

meeting with the ChristianBrothers to work out a contract. They asked for $2. 00an hour as the minimumwage.

The Christian Brothers responded by asking why theworkers were asking for $2an hour there when the unioncontract at the Schenley Ranchl.s for $1. 75 an hour mini-

mum. The workers said thatthey were asking for $2. 00because this is the ranch ofthe Christian Brothers andthe workers think that they ofall people should set a goodexample for the rest of theindustry.

However, the negotiationsare still going on and the results will not be known forseveral weeks.

bring the Perelli-Minetti -Teamster machine to~ grinding halt. The goal of thisnew thrust is to make the boycot networkso efficient that Perelli-Minetti will havegreat difficulty in selling his productsanywhere!This command squad of militant farmworkers will set up consumerboycott picket lines where necessary toinform customers that strike breakingproducts are handled by the liquor storeor market in which they intend to shop.

The boycot against Perelli-Minetti willescalate giant steps this week as 20 Delano farmworkers go East. The strikerswill be stationea in New York, Illinois,and Wisconsin, the states which receivethe largest shipments of scab liquor fromthe Perelli- Minetti winery. Churchgroups, civil rights organizations, studkts and other concerned citizens willwork with the strikers in an effort to


fARM WORK[RS CO [nST

No. I Target: Tribuno

The sieve-like Perelli-Minettihas numerous products with hundreds of outlets for all of them.For example, the winery bottlesnine different wines and four different brandies for the CaliforniaWine Association, in which Perelli-Minetti has controlling hterest.Wines:llCELLARS, GREYSTONE,GUASTI, F. I., AMBASSADOR,L&J, MOULIN ROUGE, CWA, VI-

, NO. Brandies: ARISTOCRAT, A.R. MORROW, VICTOR HUGO,OLD CONSTITUTION. This "hotcargo" is shipped to at least 20different states.

In addition, 14 distilleries in 10different states buy bulk brandyand wine from him. ("Bulk" iswine which is not bottled, but shipped in railroad tank cars and thenbottled under the purchaser's labelfor example, HIRAM WALKER andJAMES BEAM both use PerelliMinetti scab liquor.)

But the ax of the farm workerboycott will be slashing away ata single label in New York andChicago. That is TRIBUNO VER MOUTH- which comnrises 20% of

Perelli-Minetti's liquor business.P-M & Sons sells bulk TRIBUNOto John Tribuno, President ofVermouth Industries of America inNew York. He also bottles hugequantities of it for this company.TRIBUNO is sold most heavily inLos Angeles, New York, and Chicago. Farm Workers will be mobilizing forces in New York and Chicago to boycott TRIBUNO in thesame efficient and exciting waythey did in Los Angeles, wherethey cut dC?wn Perelli-Minettisales by 25%•.

WlSCONSIN--FULL OF

SCAB BRANDY

Cuidodo ...

Pere I IWisconsin is the brandiest consuming state in the nation - twoand one half times more brandyis drunk there than in any otherstate. And much of that brandyis Perelli-Minetti's own scab bra:brands - A.R. MORROW, ARIST·OCRAT, VICTOR HUGO, & ASSUMPTION ABBEY (also distributedby "21 Brands"). This growerhas 8 outlets for his brandy inWisconsin. The most importantis Ed Phillips and Sons Co.

~inetti

...••• when farm workers fromDelano, militant and armedwith the determination to gaindemocratic representation atyour ranch, hit your marketswith the full force of theHUELGAI


FRANZIA AGREES TO ELECTION"The Franzia Brothers Winery of Califor

nia has agreed to hold union representationelections for their field workers. The situation here was the same as at the Gallo Vineyards. Although the United Farm WorkersOrganizing Committee has many membershere (AWOC called a strike against this grower three years ago), the Teamsters set up apicket line and threatened to boycott Franziaunless they recognized the Teamsters as thebargaining agent for their workers.

Dolores Huerta, head of negotiations forthe U. F. W. O. C., wrote to Franzia, tellingthem that the AFL-CIO union represents themajority of their workers, not the Teamsters.Mrs. Huerta asked for some sort of repre-

sentation procedure, either an election or acard-check, to prove that they actually dorepresent the workers. Franzia, wanting tobe fair, and to give their workers democraticmeans of making their own choice, has agreedto hold such an election. Said Mrs. Huerta,"Franzia has resisted an underhanded effortto be forced into a contract without the workers having a chance to choose their representatives. "

Unfortunately, this is not true of allgrowers, and that is why the farm workersmust continue striking and boycotting growerssuch as Perelli-Minetti, who refuse to givetheir workers even this basic right of choosing their own representatives.

United Farm WorkersOrganizin7. Committee102 AlbanyDelano, California

Gentlemen:

i-

Aft.er a lengthy discussion of the request of theUni ted Farm T,'orkers for an election to determine t"'~

barr-aining al2'ent for the farm workers employed by iran~i.a

Brothers ~inery, it is their decision to consent to suc~an election.

We will agree to meet with representatives of yourunion at any reasonable time and place in order to negotiate the "ground rules ll for the election. Pending theconclusion of the election, we are assuming that youru~ion will use none of its sanctions by picketin~, ~ovco~tlng, or otherw~se. If this assumption is incorrect,' forany reason, I would appreciate your early advice.

BRADFORD J. JEFFrlY

~ NEW FILMSTRIPTHE MIGRANT FARM LABOR DILEMMA

Very truly yours,

JEFRY, GIBSON, BREWER & BARBOUR

BY

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These filmstrips, by a skillful Southern Californiaartist who has lived and worked among these people,are characterized by a superb blending of originalgraphic 3rt and the printed word.PRODUCED BY ANDREW.. ZERMENO.

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IN THE LAST ISSUE EL MALCRIADO PUBLISHED A STORY ON THE UNION HIRING HALL IN LAMONT.BUT THIS IS NOT THE ONLY HIRING HALL. THERE IS ONE IN DELANO FOR THE SCHENLEY WORKERS AND THE DIGIORGIO SIERRA VISTA WORKERS, AND ONE IN COACHELLA FOR THE DIGIORGIOWORKERS AT BORREGO SPRINGS. AND THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. THERE WILL BE MANYMORE HIRING HALLS, ONE IN EACH AREA THAT THE FARM WORKERS, THROUGH THEIR UNION, THEUNITED FARM WORKERS ORGANIZING COMMITTEE, WIN UNION CONTRACTS.

The hiring hall in Coachella is run by Joe Serda,one of the members of the committee that negotiated the DiGiorgio Contract. Joe was also one of thechief organizers at the DiGiorgio Sierra VistaRanch during the union representation election therein August, 1966.

The contract that aovers the workers at the Arvin Ranch also covers the workers at the BorregoSprings Ranch. It says that the company must notify the union if it wants workers, when it wants themand how many it wants. The union then has 72hours in which to find the workers that are needed.If at the end of the 72 hours the union has not beenable to find all the workers that the company asked

.for, then the company can employ the rest of theworkers it needs through any other means.

Joe is now in Coachella to find the workers that

DiGiorgio needs for the grape harvest in BorregoSprings. The company has notified the union thatthey will need 150 workers for the harvest, and Joemust find that many. This will probably not be toodifficult. The jobs will go fast, for the minimumwage at the DiGiorgio Ranch will be $1. 65 an hour,while all of the other grape growers in the areahave been paying only $1. 40. The workers at DiGiorgio will also have health insurance and life insurance and be covered by unemployment insurance.No other grower in the area can come anywherenear this. ANYONE WISHING TO REGISTER FORWORK AT THE BORREGO SPRINGS RANCHSHOULD GO TO 1619 SIXTH STREET IN COACHELLA AND FILL OUT AN APPLICATION. The people who have worked at that ranch before will behired first because they have seniority, and afterthem the first people who come will be hired.

IN COACHELLA

AVAILABLE

Joe Serda

JOBSPage 10 -- EL MALCRIADO

IN DELANOManuel (Fats) Sanchez

The hiring hall in Delano is run by Manuel (Fats)Sanchez. It has been operating for a year, eversince the Schenley contract was signed, and hasbeen very successful. Here, too, the union has 72hours to find workers once they have been notifiedby the company, and the hiring hall has always beenable to find workers when they are needed.

This year not only the Schenley workers will gettheir jobs here, but also the workers at the DiGiorgio Sierra Vista Ranch. The Sierra Vista workersare also covered by the same contract that theworkers at Arvin have, and they will receive thesame benefits, including the $1. 65 minimum wage.Since the grape harvest does not start for a fewmonths in Delano, the hall is not sending workers

out now, but people may fill out applications. Thosewho have worked at DiGiorgio before have seniorityand will be hired first, but there will be many workers needed, and the ones who apply the earliest will"be hired first after the ones who have se~ority.

This is also true for tre Schenley Ranch.THE HIRING HALL IN DELANO IS LOCATED

AT 102 ALBANY STREET AND IS OPEN MONDAYTHROUGH SATURDAY. IF YOU WANT TO WORKAT THE SCHENLEY RANCH OR THE DIGIORGIORANCH, YOU MUST COME INTO THE HALL ANDFILL OUT AN APPLICATION, and the sooner youdo it, the better will be your .chance of getting a jobthis summer.

GALLO OBTAINSBAN ON TEAMSTERS

In the small town of Livingstonhalfway between Fresno and Sacramento in the San Joaquin Valleythe Gallo Winery has obtained acourt injunction against theTeamster organized "strike"activites for Gallo'S 6000-acreranch there.

When, three weeks ago, theTeamsters decided that theirunion would best suit the farmworkers at the Gallo ranch, theyused a most direct and forcefulmethod to make the organizationswift and easy: they paid men towave picket signs at the ranch,to declare that they were onstrike against Gallo (althoughtheir only employer was a partof the Teamster Union) and toharass the workers. Withoutconsulting or even consideringthe workers, the Teamstersthen demanded immediate recognition of their "Union locaL"

However, Julio R. Gallo wiredCesar Chavez, the director ofthe United Farm Workers Organizing Committee, saying that heagreed to an election in which hisfield workers could decide whether and which union they want.He added that he had asked theState ConcilIation Service tosupervise the voting procedureand to insure its fairness.

The Teamsters refused theelection between themselves andUFWOC, and demanded imme diate and total recognition of their"union locaL" They continuedtheir pickets-for-hire harass ment and organized a boycott ofGallo wines.

Because of these illegal activities Gallo has now been ableto obtain frpm the Modesto courtsan injunction against the Teamsters and has stopped the paidpicket "strike" and the boycott.

E L MALCRIADO - - Page 11

THE COURTS

VS.

POVERTYWATSONVILLE --MichaelTrujillo, 19, of San Jose wasarrested last week for "stealinga tortilla." The judge, HarryF. Brauer, sentenced him toone day in jail "just to see whatit's like," he said.

The same judge fined a 58-yeall.old wom~ $56 for stealing a 72cent p~kage of m ilk of magnesiatablets from a Purity Store.Both these cases were reportedin the Watsonville newspaper.

EL MALCRIADO SAYS: Thisis justice, Watsonville style.How many of these ignorantjudges exist in California isanybody's guess. When poorpeople are driven by hunger andpain to steal, it is the judgeswho should be jailed, along withthe leaders of the agriculturalsystem that keeps people poor.

.-

-...'...

. --(

~ -__s.... ·

Local Congressman Attacks ,Poor PeopleRep. Robert Mathias, the

congressman from Kern County,attacked the War on Poverty because !be government gave agrant to the California Center forCommunity Development (CCCD)to use for training organizers.He said that the money had beenused to teach people to demonstrate and form unions and wenton to say, "But this is not whatpoverty funds are for. Thesefunds are not being used to helppoor people whatsoever. "

This last sentence demonstrates one of the basic problemswith th~ War on Poverty. Thefunds from it are usually used to"help poor people" by hiring a lotof college-educated social workers and government bureaucrats.The money never reaches the

people who really need it.The program of the CCCD was

different. Here the money wasnot given to bureaucrats, it wasgiven to the poor people to helpthemselves. Farm workerswere trained to organize, the basic tool which anyone needs inorder to help himself out of themire of poverty.

Not only farm workers, but allworkers know that the only wayto solve the problem of not havingenough money is to get betterwages, and the only way to getbetter wages is to organizeunions. One man alone can dovery little about raising hiswages, but thousands of men organized into unions can do a lot.The CCCD helped people towardthis end, and yet Rep. Mathial

can still say, "These funds arenot being used to help poor people whatsoever ... the damage hasbeen done and the people havebeen trained." This "damage,"as Mathias calls the training oforganizers, is what is going tohelp erase the poverty of thefarm workers, not his or anyone else's words.

As the Plan 'of Delano says,"We are tired of words, of betrayals, of indifference. To' thepoliticians we say that the yearsare gone when the farm wQrkersaid nothing and did nothiJig tohelp himself. From this movement shall spring leaders whoshall understand us, lead us, befaithful to us, and we shall electthcm to represent us. WESHALL BE HEA D!"

Kennedy - March, 1966

Kennedy· Helps Huelga AgainUFWOC Director Cesar Chavez, Jim Drake,nurse Peggy McGivern, and other Union officials were present at a fundraising party Wednesday night, May 10, at Which Senator RobertF. Kennedy was the guest of honor. Sen. Kennedy flew out from Washington to be present atthe event which was held in a private home in

Tiburon, Californi a. Admission to the cock-.tail party was the generous sum of $50 a couplto be donated to the Rodrigo Terronez Memorial Clinic. The party is an effort to raise$10, 000 to qualify for a grant of a matching$10, 000 offered by a Protestant Church groupfor the clinic.

."....•

Students!

01 GIORGIO WORKERS!IF YOU WORKED FOR DIGIORGIO LAST YEAR, AND IF YOU WANT TO WORK THEREAGAIN THIS YEAR, YOU MUST REGISTER IM~DIATELYAT THE UNION HffiING HALL

AT 102 ALBANYJlTRE,~E~T;I~N~D~E:LA=N;O~.-;;:;;;;;;;;;---;;;;;;;;;~;;;;;;~;--;;;;;;;;;---;;;;;;;;;;--;;:~;;;--'1- - • I I

I want to do volunteer work for the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee this summer from June 1 to September 15.

III

Students are needed to workfor the Farm Workers Union INAME AGEin Delano this summer. Any- \ ----------------- ---one who volunteers to work ADDRESSand is accepted will get free -room and board and $5 a week.I CITY STATE PHONEIf you are interested, please ' ------------ ----fill out this form and send it RE FERENCESto U. F. W. O. C., Box 130, -------------------Delano, Calif. 93215. You Ishould hear from the union -------------------------soon. No one should come toDelano this summer expectingto work unless the union noti- SCHOOL _lies them to do so. ---------------------

p

IJ

J

J

=--::--:--:-----.~~~:-:~.l M'- dStates and eXlcothe History of the Unite

l.), /.

The In t erna tiona I Br i dg e was block e~' ~~"'''"'':b'''o~t~hlllllls I o';lle.s-~May II, by pickets of the CTM, the Powerful Mexicanand by the United Form ~arkers (AFl CIa) On the

northern side. 200 local workers who nOrmally cross the bridgeto work at la CaSita's melon fields in Texas, turned back and aidnot come to Work. In the afternoon, la Casita's packing shed inRio Grande City shut down for lack of melons to pock.

APPENED:HOW -IT H Chavez

t year Cesar.... ~s Fidel Velasquez,met wIth CTM for all ofhead of th~hey discussedMexico. . to win theways of helpl~gGrande CityDelano and RIO

strikes. . a historicLast month, m. Muni-

. . . • . lhe Palac," kermeeling 'n Aleman, Tam- . n farm worcip~J in ~:~~~o, workers an~ Chavez, Ad~:;~~uez of CT~.auhpas, f m bolh coun I ader an __labor leaders ro out a strategy e _ LEADER PINA/. t to map d rCTM _lnes me, e Rio Gran e !' - trike talksfor wlnnmg IhU der Ihe lea- 'n 01 the Texas SCity strike. ~'na CTM Pad' a kers in MexlCo.dership of sr'ma~liPas, they with worleader for T.a ket the Interplanned to ~IC s in the Rio

tional Bridgena C·tyarea. d'Grande 1 Gilbert Pa I-

.. Last week.. leader, metil~, Texas strI~~s in Camargo

'th local work They ex-:~d MigU~1 ~l~~;;~rt for thepressed t .e: saying theyTexas strIk '~il if necessary,would go toh ] ights of theto defend t e r

W orkers.farm

BY MARTIN LERMA(of Mesquite, New Mexico)

by ELISEO MEDINA and JORGE O. ROBLES(translated from Spanish)

and About Our Struggle

To finish this "corrido"I will not say much moreBut advise to all my friends:Go read EI Malcriado.

Viva Don Cesar ChavezAnd all the union workersTo you we send the greetingsFrom Fortuna Federal.

I like EI MalcriadoBecause it tells the truthAnd talks about the causeThat Cesar Chavez fights.

Others head for New YorkLet no one doubt the reason:To empty all the storesOf all the vermouth by Tribuno.

Amigos, now I leave you.I'm going to my home,For joyfully I can tell youThat now we're going to win.

All the ranchers knowThat farm workers are braveThat no longer can they cheat usThat no longer are we scared.

Some are going to WisconsinWith much determinationTo wipe right off the shelvesThe products that we boycott.

Malcriado's not a daily,Boring and repetitious,On the day that it's releasedIt sells like hotcakes.

In the small town of Del~oMalcriado's read by allIt's sold on every borderAnd in far away New York.

My. friends, please pay attentionTo what I'm going to sing youIf you're in search of truthGo buy EI Malcriado.

We met together in DelanoHappy and excited,All set to travel onWith our cases and our bedrolls.

On the first of MayWith not a soul to stop usWe peacefully went outTo fight against Minetti.

From Delano we set out,Three carloads to the east,_On arriving in ChicagoWe part and go our ways.

V[RS[S~

To (I Malcriado


PHOTOFEATURE

,


The Struggleto Save Texas

In Rio GrandeCity the thunderbird symbolof the farm workers' Union ismaking itsfirst assaulton the rottenpowers thathold Texas inslavery.

PHOTOS BYGEORGEBALLIS

Gilbert Padilla, leader of theTexas strike, talks to a newmember at the office of theHuelga in Rio Grande City,trying to explain hqw thesuccess of Delano will helpTexas.

A woman in Rio Grande City--a striker-= builds her own house of adobe.

PHOTOFEATURE

"In fact, to preserve one'sI i f e i sad u t yeo nl"no n to a I Iindividuals, J;'ld t,J neglectthis duty is a crime."

( P0 'J e Leo '~( I I I ~

Child watches the Teatro Campesino

II

PHOTOFEATURE

A striker

A WOMAN SERVES FOOD TO HUNGRY PICKETS IN THESTRIKE KITCHEN AT RIO GRANDE CITY

PHOTOFEATURIE

!

"Theoppressedworkers,abo ve a I I ,ought to beI i beratedfrom thesavagery ofareedy men,who inordinate I y usehuman beingsas thingsfor gain."

(PopeLeo XIII)

/

Left: Two signs explain the conflict; Right: Hands which once picked lettuce now sew banners


THE NATIONAL

WANTS YO TO

DAYOUR RIGHTS

2) THE LAW SAYS THATYou have a right to thewages which were promised you.

1) THE LAW SAYS THATYou have the right toimmediate payment whenever you are fired or laidoff.

3) You must be shown, inwriting, either on yourcheck stub or anotherpiece of paper, what deductions your employerhas withheld from yourpaycheck.

~IF YOU HAVE BEEN CHEATED IN THESE OR OTHER WAYS AND THINK THATYOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED YOUR CORRECT WAGES COME TO THE FARM.WORKERS SERVICE CENTER SO THAT WE CAN NOTIFY THE LABOR COMMISSIONER ON YOUR BEHALF.

DO YOU KNOW

arm Worker Service Center105 Asti StreetDelano, California 93215n5-0161

Farm Worker Service Center10913 Main StreetLamont, California845-1488


Farm Workers

HOUSE Of

REPRESENTATIVES

HOLDS HEARINGS

ON fARM LABOR

"I never knew hunger until I cam~ to the UnitedStates." These were the words of Larry Itliong ofDelano, the assistant director of the United FarmWorkers Organizing Committee. He was speakingbefore a sub-committee of the Congress of the U. S.in Washington, D. C.

The occasion was the union's campaign to getgovernment protection for farm workers through theNLRA -- the law that protects all other workers,but which now excludes farm workers.

DEMOCRACY DOESN'T EXIST

Larry explained to lawmakers about his years inthe Philippines, followed by years in the fields ofCalifornia, Oregon and Washington. "We were toldback in the Islands that the U. S. was a great democratic country. Well, for people who work in thefields, that democracy doesn't exist. Field workers -- who need protection the most -- are systematically excluded from nearly all the federal laborlaws.

Cesar Chavez, who led the group's assault onWashington, spoke to the nation's leaders aboutexactly why the NLRA should be extended to farmworkers. "We are subject to the restrictions of thelaw," he said, "but not to any of its protections.Therefore we are now in a very bad position, onethat is clearly discriminatory." Cesar also talkedabout hOWl under the NLRA, employers are forced tolive up to agreements. Without it, there is no wayto force them into keeping their word.

WE HAVE NO CHOICE

The only-way to beat them now, Cesar said, isthrough the most disastrous economic threats suchas strikes and boycotts. These create so much


at Congresstrouble in the community that it is in the public interest that they be avoided. Without the NLRA however, we have no choice.

Mack Lyons of Bakersfield told the Congressmenhow DiGiorgio had workers arrested for sitting inat his office in San Francisco. Mack explained how,under NLRA procedures, this never would have happened.

Domingo Arredondo of Rio Grande City, Texas,told the committee about police harrassment ofstrikers there. He told them about the 56 arrestsof strikerR -- none of which has been brought totrial.

HORRIBLE CONDITIONS

The head of the committee, Congressman Thompson, actually cried when he heard about the horrible conditions under which people must live andwork in South Texas. "These things happening inthis country are incredible," he said.

Another member of the committee was Congressman Albert of Oklahoma. He was greatly interestedin the problems of the union, because he has relatives living in Del ano, m~mbers of the union, andworkers at Sierra Vista Ranch here.

Mr. Albert was especially interested in JoeSerda's speech for the government. Joe is the leader of the union's Coachella Hiring Hall. He talkedabout the election campaign at Sierra Vista Ranch.He contrasted the first election -- the phony Teamster election which was banned by the investigators-- with the final election which was' similar to anNLRB election.

MOST IMPORTANT LAW OF THE YEAR

Dolores Huerta and Gilbert Padilla summed upthe union's presentation before the government.Congressman Phil Burton from San Francisco saidthat the new law would be one of the most importantlaws of the year. Dolores Huerta added tin \; for thefarm workers, it would be one of the most important things to happen in the 20th century.

Dolores said, "NLRB elections are so peaceable,and are carried on so easily and with such fairness,that many people do not even know they are takingplace. The farm workers union in California hashad the benefit of only one NLRB election, in thepeanut packing shed at DiGiorgio, she said. "Wewill be working out a contract with them this month,and the whole thing was done without a costly strikefor DiGiorgio. These stubborn growers are goingto learn that the NLRA law protects them as well asthe workers. If it doesn't get through Congress,there is going to be another long year of trouble inthe fields."

IS WASHINGTON FRIENDLY?

Friends of the strike led by Wendy Goepel, formerly of Delano, raised $300 for the Farm WorkersMedical Clinic on the weekend of the ooarings, at acocktail party. But the farm workers will find outfor sure how friendly Washington, D. C. is when thelaw passes through Congress and becomes a reality.

WHICH WORKERS ARE COVERED BY THE FEDERAL LAW CALLED THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT (NLRA)?

The law covers all packinghouse workers who workin packinghouses which do work for more than onerancher, and which sell more than $50,000 worth ofproducts each year. Field workers are not coveredby the law. The United Farm Workers OrganizingCommittee has representatives in Washington tryingto change the law so that it will cover all workers.

HOW DOES THE LAW WORK?

1. The workers in a certain place sign a petition andask for an election.

2. The government calls a meeting to set a date forthe election.

3. A secret ballot election is held to determine ifthe workers want a union.

4. The election is supervised by the government.Neither the company nor the union is allowed tosee how the workers vote.

5. The government determines who is eligible tovote. Both the company and the union have theright to challenge voters who they don't thinkshould be voting.

6. If the union wins, the company is forced to negotiate a contract with the union.

7. If the company lays off some workers or tries tothreaten "them, the union can get the workers'jobs back for them by declaring an unfair laborpractice to the government.

8. The local police are not permitted to interfere.The election is supervised by honest federal officials.

9. All voters have the same rights, whether or notthey are citizens of the United States.


Whafs the Name nf Ihis Town?

first Answer Wins $5.00SEND YOUR ANSWER AND YOUR NAME ANDADDRESS TO:

GAME OF THE TOWNS. Po 0 0 BOX 1060

DELANO, CALIFo 93215

LAST TIME'S WINNERThe winner last time was Manuel Sanchez,who was the first one to send in the rightanswer, which was Delanoo Mro Sanchez'will receive $50000

Andrew Avila of Huron, California: We need yourcomplete address.

New Office

THENEWBUTI..DING

MESQUITE, New Mexico -- La Fortuna Federal,the credit union here is growing slowly, but itdefinitely is growing. They now have 90 membersand over $1,000 in assets. In the past six monthsthey have doubled their assets, something that

·even the Delano Farm Workers Credit Union hasnot been able to do.

The members are now building anew officefor the credit union and are doing very well.Even though th.e members are doing most of thework on the building themselves, they are havingsome problems with all of the expensive itemsthat go into the construction of an office. Puttingin the electricity cost $125, and roofing materials,plaster and paint put the cost well over $300.This is quite a lot of money for a group like thisone which is very young.

In order to get enough money for these expenses, they are having a raffle. The prize is asewing machine which was donated by one of themembers. The raffle will be held in June in connection with their dedication ceremonies for thenew building. At the same time they hope to havea big fiesta to celebrate the completion of thecredit union office.

Another Graduate

of the Recorder ClassEmilio Huerta, 9, was one of the graduates from the first

10-week beginners' class for the recorder. When the Malcriadoprinted the story about Tim Kelly's recorder classes in the lastissue, we made a mistake and left out Emilio's name. We add ithere because Emilio not only graduated, but was one of the bestones in the class, and is continuing to take lessons from Tim.

The new recorder classes have already started. There aresome for beginners and some for those who are more advanced.Although Tim has left Delano for a few days b~cause of illness, theclasses will begin again soon, and anyone in the Huelga who is interested in taking them should contact Tim at 725-8661 or 725-1919

_._.__._.q__D~__..__E""~_~M_~_~~_R_T_A J

TEXANS TODAY -- BUILDING TOMORROW

The last 6 months were a greatexperience for the organizers inthe state of Texas, as theyfound themselves with a 100%Mexican-American movement,and for many of them it seemed tobe a great problem for the unionto win a contract.

Organizing along the Mexicanborder is like seasonal planting.The smallest details should bewatched, and the result will bethe same as the att~ntionpaidthose details.It is true that the level of life

for the Texas farm workers isvery low, but those same problems can playa very importantrole in our favor, as the conditions are the same as being atthe bottom of a well or the sameas not being able to'go down any.farther, and at the same timethe effort will be upward.

An example of the above is whatis happening in Texas, in RioGrande City. The strikers overthere now lmow that they havecertain rights which they shouldnot lose even if they are arrestedor accused. When I spoke to themonce, they said, "Before the laws

were enforced the way they" wanted to enforce them. We neversaid anything and today, inchange, we know that we can'tbe forced to speak against ourselves and that was very commonbefore, the police for us werelike little gods and no one saidanything, perhaps these experiences will make a lot of differenceeven if we don't win any contractsthey won't treat us like they didbefore". By the above, you cansee that they themselves can seehoW powerful the ranchers are inthat state, but at the same timethey don't become weak becausethey believe that they have wonenough and because of that theycontinue this tmfair battle.

The possibilities of a contractin Rio Grande City, Texas, depends more on the help that thenation can give these brave huelgistas and especially on the labormovement in Texas - that it stopplaying political games with usand that it. rise to the height ofits responsibilities that they themselves accepted when they offeredhelp to those poor farm workers.

Now is the time that he can andshould win a contract as the me-

1Hl nOVnn1nClSOf

ORCnNlllnC 1lXnSby Antonio Orpndain

Ions are about to begin and as I.said before if those strikers received the necessary help theywould have the contract that wouldform the foundation of a betterfuture for the farm worker notonly in Texas but throughoutthe country.

Another striker adds, "Thesedays the farmers are saying thatthey are cultivating the land inorder to give us work and thatthere is no profit in it for themselves, and that because of thisthey have to pay cheap wages,and that besides when we go toCalifornia the ones from theresay that we ruin the prices butthey don't notice that this is justanother tactic of the ranchers tomake us fight among ourselveswhile they make the money, because while the people in California say that we're strikebreakers, we say that the greencarders or wetbacks are theones. They tell us that they

work for those wages becausethey can make a living with themand they're right. Another thingthat the ranchers and their propaganda machine have peoplebelieving is that we "pochos"are no longer capable of workingin the fields because we can'tlast the day picking cotton orthinning beets and that the onesthat come from Mexico can andthat we like to live off of welfare---and that is the way that theranchers make their money aswe argue among ourselves as towho is right."

It is because of all this that theday will come when we will havea strong union in Texas and inthat way protect ourselves andput up information centers sothat we can end all those liesfrom that department of employment that tells us to go to California or Illinois where there isso much work with the resultthat all we do is go break theprices.The above will give you a very

clear idea of why it is veryimportant to organize the bordertowns, especially in Texas, because in that way the base willbe constructed at the very bottomof the well, and it will be amighty and poweful foundation.That way we will come out ofthis difficulty that we are in.


LIST OFHONOR

These volunteers will havetheir names inscribed on thebronze plaque at the newbuilding site. If their daysof service to the union arematched by your own, thebuildings will soon be areality. Will your name beon the next list of honor?

ALEX RODRIGUEZ

ISABE L ZAVALA

MACARIO R. GARCIA

CARMEN URANDAY

JORGE O. ROBLES

JOSE PE~A

HUGO CARRILLO

EMIL FACKLER

JUAN C. RODRIGUEZ

ALBERT ESCALANTE

ROGE LIO E STUPINAN

VICENTE RODRIGUEZ

THE NEW/

Where the Diggingof a Trench 1$ t,he

Symbol of aGreat Future

Richard Chavez carries a survey tape on thenew land. Richard, an officer of the Farm

Workers Credit Union, and brother of Cesar Chavez, is the Construction Supervisor. He is

responsible for the successful completion of the new buildings. The first build

ing will be finished within a fewmonths.


LANDAT THE CORNER OF GARCES HIGHWAY AND METTLER ROAD, A FEW MILES WESTOF DELANO, THERE ARE FORTY ACRES OF LAND NOW UNDER DEVELOPMENT.HERE IS LIVING PROOF OF THE STRENGTH AND PERMANENCE OF THE FARMWORKERS. THE LAND IS OWNED COLLE CTIVE LY BY ALL THE WORKERS THROUGHTHEm UNION(UFWOC; AFL-CIO). IT WILL BE USED TO CONSTRUCT THE MANYBUILDINGS NEEDED BY THE UNION TO SERVE ITS MEMBERS.

WITH DELANO AS THE HUB OF A FARM WORKER MOVEMENT THAT STRETCHESFOR MORE THAN 1000 MILES, THESE BUILDINGS WILL BE GREATLY NEEDED.THE FmST PROJECT WILL BE A CO-OP SERVICE STATION AND PARTS STORE ANDGARAGE. TFE SECOND BUILDING WILL BE A CLINIC. THESE WILL BE FOLLOWEDBY AN OFFICE BUILDING AND AN AUDITORIUM.

ALREADY COMPLETED IS THE ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION AND THE 300-FOOTDEEP WELL. THE WATER, WHICH WAS TASTED THIS WEEK FOR THE FIRST TIME,WAS DECLARED TO BE THE BEST TASTING WATER IN KERN COUNTY.

THE MIGRANT SONG

Up from El Centro and San Bernardino.Bakersfield. Fresno, f1adera, "Ierced.Sal inas and Stockton, uo to Sacramento,Santa Rosa and Red Bluff and on hack anain.One hund red thousand men, women and ch i Id ren.They flow on the hiqhway, the vounn and the old,An unendino cycle of sowing and reanino,The lono valley's labor can never be done.

And see how the landYields up her treasureTo man's oatient hand.

Up in the morning an hour before dawnino,Stretching and yawnino, rubbino sleen from their eyes,!·/ith the last stars still ouiverino, in the I'lOrnino breeze

shiverinl'},I-Ihile the sun is just liqhtino the easternmost skies.Soon in the big open trucks they will travelCrowded toget!1cr and crammed in I ike cattle,Over' pavement, over gravel, o~r dirt roll the wheelsUp to the orchards, the vinevards, the fields.

And see how the landYields up her treasureTo man's patient hand.

Continued on the following page.•...

........-------PHOTOSTop - The first man on the left is Albert Escalante. Work likethis, performed by hand, is saving the Union thousands of dollarson construction of the much-needed buildings. .Middle - Carmen Uranday, who has been with the Huelga since thefirst day in 1965, will have his name added to the plaque which willshow the names of all those who have helped.~ - Johnny Rodriguez, leads a line of worker-volunteers digging trenches for underground water pipes for the half-dozen buildings which will be constructed.


drawing by ANDY ZERMENO

... Continued from preceding page

Soon in the long rows the swift hands aretoi I inq,

In the day's growing heat and the dusty rowsboi 1ing,

The sun presses down like a hot heavy handOn the backs of the laborers working the land,In the shade of the oak trees by the side of

the fie Id rOl~S,

Dirty and shoeless the younq children play,While fathers and mothers, older sisters and

brothers,Toil on their knees in the heat of the day.

And see ho\~ tha 1andYields UP her treasureTo man's oatient hand.

Down from the highwiY come men in brown uni-forms

Questioninq, checkinq and search ina, and soonOne or two who~e papers are not in orderWill be gone from the crew in the hot after-

noon.But when the sun has descended and the 10nq day

is endedIts back to the trlolcks wining S\veat from their

eyes,Tired and weary and covered allover\-lith fruit juice and brol-In dust and S\leat and

black fl ies.

.A.nd see hOI-! the IandYields up her treasure

. To man's patient hand.When there's crons in the fields and qraDes in

the vineyards,And the limbs in the orchards bow low to the

around,There's food on the table and clothes for the

children .And sinqina and dancing and joy all ~round.

Out with the skies qrev as iron and the icywinds whistl inq,

Frost in the fields and no work to be found.In the cold niqht they huddle and with hunqer

they struqqleTill sprinq brinqs hack sweetness and life to

the qround.

And see hov/ the 1andYields up her treasureTo man's patient hand.

Pete r Kruq

AN INCREDIBLE

STORY:

Man Works-

33 Years

without PayAbernicio Gonzales went to

work on the large Montoya Ranchin New Mexico in 1933. He did itto pay back $50 that his motherhad borrowed to pay for an olderbrother's wedding.

The deal he made was that hepay it back at 75¢ a day by working. He was 13 years old at thetime.

Gonzales worked off the debt in80 days and agreed to continueworking for 50¢ a day plus his upkeep. The arrangement was thatthe money be put in a bank for hisold age. He was repeatedly assured that the money was beingsaved for him.

In 1966, 33 years later, Abernicio Gonzales w,as 46 years old:He was still working for the remote Montoya ranch, north ofAlbuquerque. He had never beenpermitted to see an accounting ofthe money saved for him.

Also he had never been permitted to leave the ranch. He washeld there by force, beaten several times for attempting to leaveand seek work elsewhere.

Now that Gonzales' story hascome to light, he is suing theranch for the 50ct a day that theynever put away for him. With sixpercent interest it comes to$40,000.

This story was first reportedthrough the UPI and the ValleyEvening Monitor of McAllen, Texas. EI Malcriado would appreciate information from its readers on similar cases -- as it iswell known that there are hundredsof people kept in slavery on remote ranches throughout the southwest of the United States.

This is a note from Lupe Pena to thestrikers, written while she wascritically ill in the hospital. In itshe says: "Long live the Cause andmay it go on forever forward.Long live Cesar Chavez and Larry!tliong and all our farm workerbrothers. "

Lupe Pena1920-1967

These are the courageous words of a courageous woman, a huelguista and the wifeof a striker, Sebastian Pena, and the mother of three children. Magdalena Venturaand Domingo. Mrs. Lupe Pefia died Saturday, May 6, after lying in KernGeneral Hospital in critical condition since March. She was 46 years old. Her illnesstook her from her responsibilities in the Huelga where she had worked half day in thebusy kitchen of Filipino Hall which daily feeds several hundred trikers and their families, and half day for this newspaper, EI Malcriado. We salute you, Lupe, for yourlife and death struggle. We know that we were in your thoughts in those last harddays, just as you were and are in ours.

C othing Workers WonBY SHARRON MARTIN

This is the inspiring slory ofhow the heroic men, women,and children who help clotheour nation organized themselvesinto a strong union, the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union--how they stood together against their unfair employers and won. Theirs is atstory which is an inspirationto all farmworkers, who havesuffered the same horribleliving and working conditions,and are now engaged in thesame work of freeing themselves for a brighter future.

If you were poor and lived inthe city in the late 19th orea.rly 20th century, you probably worked in a factory.Workers were caught by the

terrible factory system, before the reforms forced bylabor unions were adopted.

CHILDREN WORKED TODEATH IN SWEATSHOPS

The clothing workers laboredthe majority of their livesaway in sweatshops -- dim,damp, disease breeding roomswith often hundreds of peoplecrowded into it, sewing andcutting, by hand and by machine. The sweatshops werefiretraps, often with only oneexit.

Children worked side by sidewith their mothers, from thetime they were 4 or 5 yearsold. "Children are worked to

death beside their parents, "reported a CongressionalCommittee at that time.

"IF YOU DOWT COME INSUNDAY, DONYT COME INMONDAY"

The boss hung up this sign forall the workers to see. Hourswere incredibly long -- 12 to14 hours a day, 7 days a weekWages were inhumanly low -5 cents an hour!Even when they finished theirlong, gruelling days work,they could be seen, womenwith their children by theirsides, carrying home hugepiles of garments on theirheads -- "homework" to besewn at home.


Sweat Shop Death Traps! IEven on their one day of freedom, Christmas Day, theyhad to do sewing in their ownhomes to keep their jobs. Onepoor worker wrote, "At theend of the day I feel so weak Iwant to fall down and sleep. Ifone of us gets a new hat, thatmeans we have gone for twoweeks on 2 cent lunches --dry cake and nothing else. "

Even the most permanent jobwas temporary, because workers were not united and had nostrength against their employers for job security.

WORKERS ORGANIZE

In 1900 the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Unionwas formed. Seven locals,representing 2, 000 workers,were issued a charter by thethen president of the AFL-CIOSamuel Gompers. Earlierefforts of the union to organizehad failed, but this time thebosses' goon squad and hungercouldn't break the union.

THE GREAT REVOLT

In 1909 the shirtwaist makers'had a walkout (Uprising of the20 000) and in 1910, the, ,Great Revolt came when hundreds of cloak makers struckfor better working conditions.This two months strike wassettled by providing preferential union hiring, a board ofgrievances and a board of arbitration. This laid the foundation for the "impartialchairman" method of settlinglabor disputes.

FIRE KILLS 146 YOUNGGmLS

But the event that reallycalled the attention of the nation to the plight of the sweatshop seamstresses and theirchildren was the tragic firein New York in 1911. OnMarch 25, a'fire broke out inthe overcrowded upstairs"sweatshop" 'of the TriangleShirtwaist Company in NewYork. When the fire started,the workers, mostly girls,didn't have a chance. The

only entrance had been bolted,and the broken fire escapeended in midair. One hundredand forty-six young womendied in that fire. Many charred bodies were found, stillbent over their sewing machines, totally unidentifiable.Many poor young girls leapedto their death, rather than beburned alive when they discovered that there was no escape.

REFORMS WON

This horrible tragedy resultedin the establishment of theNew York Factory Investi-

gating Committee and eventualimprovement in factory conditions.

Today the International Ladies Garment Workers is astrong union, offering manybenefits to its union members.Like the United Farm Workers Union, it offers medicalservices - - 13 ILGWU healthcenters, 6 mobile health centers, and a staff of 500 physicians. It sponsors cooperative housing for 4,492 families (the workers own thebUildings and share the costof living). It has won for itsworkers a 35 hour work weekand high wages.

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Documents

The Voice of the Farm Worker lEI Malcri 0] Englis~~~'e