APGRAPE STRIKERS MARCHING FROM DELANO TO SACRAMENTOPICKETS OUTSIDE MARKET IN BROOKLYNTHE LITTLE STRIKE THAT GREW TO LA CAUSAITEM: At a dinner party in NewYork's Westchester County, <strong>the</strong> dessertincludes grapes. The hostess notices tha<strong>the</strong>r fellow suburbanites fall <strong>to</strong> with gus<strong>to</strong>;<strong>the</strong> guests from Manhattan unanimouslyabstain.ITEM: At St. Paul's, a fashionableNew Hampshire prep school, grapes are<strong>the</strong> only part of <strong>the</strong> meal invariablyleft un<strong>to</strong>uched.ITEM: In San Francisco, a Safewayofficial observes: "We have cus<strong>to</strong>merswho come <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> s<strong>to</strong>re for no o<strong>the</strong>r reasonthan <strong>to</strong> buy grapes. They'll load up<strong>the</strong>ir car with grapes and nothing else."ITEM: In Oak<strong>la</strong>nd, a conscience-riddenhousewife exp<strong>la</strong>ins apologetically<strong>to</strong> her dinner companions: "I reallywanted <strong>to</strong> have this dessert, and I just decided<strong>that</strong> one <strong>little</strong> bunch of grapeswouldn't make <strong>that</strong> much difference."ITEM: In Honolulu, <strong>the</strong> YoungAmericans for Freedom organizes an."emergency grape lift" by jet from <strong>the</strong>main<strong>la</strong>nd, inviting "all of those starvedfor <strong>the</strong> sight of a California grape <strong>to</strong>come <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> airport."WHY all <strong>the</strong> excitement about thissmooth, sweet and innocent fruit?The answer is <strong>that</strong> <strong>the</strong> table grape,Vitis vinifera, has become <strong>the</strong> symbolof <strong>the</strong> four-year-old <strong>strike</strong> of California'spredominantly Mexican-American farmworkers. For more than a year now,table grapes have been <strong>the</strong> object of a nationalboycott <strong>that</strong> has won <strong>the</strong> sympathyand support of many Americans-and <strong>the</strong> ire of many o<strong>the</strong>rs. The <strong>strike</strong>is widely known as <strong>la</strong> <strong>causa</strong>, which hascome <strong>to</strong> represent not only a protestagainst working conditions among Californiagrape pickers but <strong>the</strong> wider aspirationsof <strong>the</strong> nation's Mexican-Americanminority as well. La <strong>causa</strong>'s magneticchampion and <strong>the</strong> country's mostprominent Mexican-American leader isCesar Estrada Chavez, 42, a onetimegrape picker who combines a mysticalmien with peasant earthiness. La <strong>causa</strong>is Chavez's whole life; for it, he has impoverishedhimself and endangered hishealth by fasting. In soft, slow speech,he urges his people-nearly 5,000,000of <strong>the</strong>m in <strong>the</strong> U.S.-<strong>to</strong> rescue <strong>the</strong>mselvesfrom society's cel<strong>la</strong>r. As he seesit, <strong>the</strong> first step is <strong>to</strong> win <strong>the</strong> battle of<strong>the</strong> grapes.Magnified MovementTo enter <strong>the</strong> public consciousness, a<strong>la</strong>bor conflict must ordinarily threaten<strong>the</strong> supply of essential goods and services,like steel or transportation. Pol- iticians and <strong>the</strong> public take notice onlywhen <strong>the</strong>re is great impact on <strong>the</strong> economy,when spectacu<strong>la</strong>r bloodshed occursor when well-recognized issues are atstake. The grape <strong>strike</strong> seems <strong>to</strong> meetnone of <strong>the</strong>se criteria. Americans couldeasily live without <strong>the</strong> table grape if<strong>the</strong>y had <strong>to</strong>, and even <strong>that</strong> minor sacrificehas been unnecessary. The disputehas been re<strong>la</strong>tively free of violence.Nei<strong>the</strong>r great numbers of mennor billions of dol<strong>la</strong>rs are involved. Thewelfare of agricultural workers has rarelycaptured U.S. attention in <strong>the</strong> past,but <strong>the</strong> grape <strong>strike</strong>-Ia huelga-and<strong>the</strong> boycott accompanying it have clearlyengaged a <strong>la</strong>rge part of <strong>the</strong> nation.The issue has divided husband andwife, inspired countless heated argumentsat social occasions and engenderedpublic controversy from coast <strong>to</strong> coast.As if on a holy crusade, <strong>the</strong> <strong>strike</strong>rsstage marches <strong>that</strong> resemble religious pilgrimages,bearing aloft <strong>the</strong>ir own stylizedb<strong>la</strong>ck Aztec eagle on a red fieldalong with images of <strong>the</strong> Virgin of Guadalupe,patroness of Mexicans and particu<strong>la</strong>rlyof those who work <strong>the</strong> soil.As <strong>the</strong> workers and <strong>the</strong>ir sympathizersmarch, supermarket chains, middle-c<strong>la</strong>ssconsumers, and even <strong>the</strong> grape growersare choosing sides. Some supermarketsare leaving <strong>the</strong> choice <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> shopper.O<strong>the</strong>rs sell only grapes imported fromAfrica or Israel, and make a point of advertising<strong>that</strong> <strong>the</strong>y do not carry <strong>the</strong> Californiaproduct. On Capi<strong>to</strong>l Hill, dinersin <strong>the</strong> House restaurants have not seena grape for months, while <strong>the</strong> Senate refec<strong>to</strong>ryhas been using 15 lbs. <strong>to</strong> 20lbs. a week. When one California Congressmansent <strong>la</strong>rge bags of grapes <strong>to</strong>each of his colleagues, many of <strong>the</strong> recipientsreturned <strong>the</strong>m. Within a fewhours, <strong>the</strong> corridor outside <strong>the</strong> Congressman'soffice was asquish with troduponfruit. .Governor Ronald Reagan calls <strong>the</strong><strong>strike</strong> and boycott "immoral" and "attemptedb<strong>la</strong>ckmaiL" Sena<strong>to</strong>r GeorgeMurphy, like Reagan an old Hollywoodunion man-turned-conservative, terms<strong>the</strong> movement "dishonest." The NixonAdministration has seemed ambivalent,putting forward legis<strong>la</strong>ti.on <strong>that</strong> wouldostensibly give farm workers organizationrights but would also limit <strong>the</strong>iruse of <strong>strike</strong>s and boycotts. The Pentagonhas substantially increased itsgrape orders for mess-hall tables, a move<strong>that</strong> Chavez and his followers countered<strong>la</strong>st week by preparing a <strong>la</strong>wsuit <strong>to</strong> preventsuch purchases on <strong>the</strong> ground <strong>that</strong>grapes are <strong>the</strong> subject of a <strong>la</strong>bor dispute.Some au<strong>to</strong>-bumper stickers read:NIXON EATS GRAPES. The growers' answeringslogan: EAT CALIFORNIA GRAPES,THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT.Edward and E<strong>the</strong>l Kennedy, following<strong>the</strong> <strong>la</strong>te Robert Kennedy's example, haveembraced Cesar Chavez as a bro<strong>the</strong>r.The so-called Beautiful People, fromPeter, Paul and Mary <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> Ford sisters,Anne Uzielli and Charlotte Ni-16TIME, JULY -4, 1969
archos, are helping <strong>to</strong> raise funds for<strong>the</strong> <strong>strike</strong>rs. That support is one of <strong>the</strong>few issues <strong>that</strong> find Chicago Mayor RichardDaley, iconoc<strong>la</strong>stic Writer GloriaSteinem, and liberal Sena<strong>to</strong>rs Jacob Javitsand George McGovern in <strong>to</strong>ta<strong>la</strong>greement. Ralph Abernathy lends b<strong>la</strong>ckhelp <strong>to</strong> what is becoming <strong>the</strong> BrownPower movement.The fact <strong>that</strong> it is a movement hasmagnified <strong>la</strong> huelga far beyond its economicand geographic confines. At stakeare not only <strong>the</strong> interests of 384,100 agriculturalworkers in California but potentiallythose of more than 4,000,000in <strong>the</strong> U.S. Such workers have neverwon collective bargaining rights, partiallybecause <strong>the</strong>y have not been highlymotivated <strong>to</strong> organize and partiallybecause <strong>the</strong>ir often itinerant lives havemade <strong>the</strong>m difficult <strong>to</strong> weld in<strong>to</strong> a group<strong>that</strong> would have <strong>the</strong> clout of an industrialunion. By trying <strong>to</strong> organize<strong>the</strong> grape pickers, Chavez hopes <strong>to</strong> inspiremilitancy among all farm <strong>la</strong>borers.Because most of <strong>the</strong> grape pickers areMexican Americans, he also believes<strong>that</strong> he is fighting a battle on behalf of<strong>the</strong> entire Mexican-American community,which as a group constitutes <strong>the</strong> nation'ssecond biggest deprived minority.Unlettered and UnshodLike <strong>the</strong> b<strong>la</strong>cks, Mexican Americans,who are known as Chicanos, are a variedand diverse people. Only recentlyhave <strong>the</strong>y emerged from a stereotype:<strong>the</strong> <strong>la</strong>zy, p<strong>la</strong>cid peasant lost in a centuries-longsiesta under a sombrero. Unlike<strong>the</strong> b<strong>la</strong>cks, who were brought <strong>to</strong><strong>the</strong> U.S. involuntarily, <strong>the</strong> Chicanoshave flocked <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> U.S. over <strong>the</strong> past30 years, legally and illegally, in an attempt<strong>to</strong> escape <strong>the</strong> poverty of <strong>the</strong>ir nativeMexico and find a better life. Whatever<strong>the</strong>ir present condition may be.many obviously find it better than <strong>the</strong>irformer one, as evidenced by <strong>the</strong> fact<strong>that</strong> re<strong>la</strong>tives have often followed familiesin<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> U.S. The Chicanos donot speak in one voice but many, followno one leader or strategy. Theirlevel of ambition and militance variesgreatly from barrio <strong>to</strong> barrio betweenTexas and California.No man, however, personifies <strong>the</strong> Chicanos'bleak past, restless present andpossible future in quite <strong>the</strong> manner ofCesar Chavez. He was <strong>the</strong> unshod, unletteredchild of migrant workers. He attendeddozens of schools but never got<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> eighth grade. He was a street-corner<strong>to</strong>ugh who now c<strong>la</strong>ims as his modelsEmiliano Zapata, Gandhi, Nehruand Martin Lu<strong>the</strong>r King. He tells hispeople: "We make a solemn promise:<strong>to</strong> enjoy our rightful part of <strong>the</strong> richesof this <strong>la</strong>nd, <strong>to</strong> throw off <strong>the</strong> yoke ofbeing considered as agricultural implementsor s<strong>la</strong>ves. We are free men andwe demand justice."The dawning of Chavez's socia<strong>la</strong>wareness came in a seamy San Jose,Calif., barrio called Sal Si Puedes-"Get out if you can." Through FredRoss, a tall, quiet organizer for SaulAlinsky's Community Service Organi-TIME, JULY 4, 1969zation, Cesar began <strong>to</strong> act on Alinsky'sprecept <strong>that</strong> concerted action is <strong>the</strong> onlymeans through which <strong>the</strong> poor can gainpolitical and economic power. Chavez,a Roman Catholic, has delved deeplyin<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> papal social encyclicals, especiallyRerum Novarum and QuadragesimoAnno. ':' "What Cesar wanted <strong>to</strong>reform was <strong>the</strong> way he was treated asa man," recalls his bro<strong>the</strong>r Richard."We always talked about change, buthow could we go about it?" Cesar Chavezwent about it by working with <strong>the</strong>c.s.O. among Mexican Americans forten years. Then, in 1962, he left <strong>to</strong>form a farm workers' union.The conditions under which farm <strong>la</strong>borers<strong>to</strong>il have improved somewhatsince <strong>the</strong> squalid Depression era so wellevoked by John Steinbeck in The Grapesof Wrath and In Dubious Battle; yetfield work remains one of <strong>the</strong> most unpleasan<strong>to</strong>f human occupations. It demandslong hours of back-breaking<strong>la</strong>bor, often in choking dust amid insectsand under a f<strong>la</strong>ming sun. The harvest-timewage for grape pickers averages$1.65 an hour, plus a 25¢ bonusfor each box picked, while <strong>the</strong> currentfederal minimum wage is $1.60.Despite this, <strong>the</strong> seasonal and sporadicnature of <strong>the</strong> work keeps <strong>to</strong>tal incomefar below <strong>the</strong> poverty level. Averagefamily income is less than $1,600a year. There is no job security, andfringe benefits are few. If <strong>the</strong>y are migrants,<strong>the</strong> workers must frequently livein fetid shacks without light or plumbing(though housing, bad as it is, is frequentlyfree or very cheap.) As a result,many have moved <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> cities,where even unskilled <strong>la</strong>bor can findwork at decent wages.Chavez was not <strong>the</strong> first <strong>to</strong> try <strong>to</strong> 01'-':' Rerum Noval'llm, published by Leo XITIin 1891, contended <strong>that</strong> <strong>the</strong> rich had in effect ens<strong>la</strong>ved<strong>the</strong> poor, and <strong>that</strong> every man has aright <strong>to</strong> a decent wage and reasonable comfort.Pius X1, in Quadragesil1lo Anno (1931),criticized <strong>the</strong> economic despotism <strong>that</strong> resultsfrom "limitless free competition" and reiterated<strong>the</strong> principle of a just wage.'00 25% <strong>to</strong> 50%5% <strong>to</strong> 25%247,000 { Popu<strong>la</strong>tion i150/0 having Spaganize farm workers. Ineffective efforts<strong>to</strong> found agricultural unions date back<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> turn of <strong>the</strong> century. But only inHawaii, where Harry Bridges' <strong>to</strong>ughlongshoremen's union used its muscle<strong>to</strong> win <strong>the</strong> first farm-<strong>la</strong>bor contract forsugar-cane workers in 1945, did unionizationtake hold. Agriculture is outside<strong>the</strong> jurisdiction of <strong>the</strong> National LaborRe<strong>la</strong>tions Board, which has providedfederal ground rules for industrial workers'unions since 1935; on a nationallevel, <strong>the</strong>re is no simi<strong>la</strong>r mechanismfor farm workers. In May <strong>the</strong> Nixon Administrationproposed an independentFarm Labor Re<strong>la</strong>tions Board, butchances for passage of such a <strong>la</strong>w thisyear are small. Without NLRB protection,and with farm <strong>la</strong>bor normally transientand seasonal, <strong>the</strong> difficulties of organizingare enormous.Rose Grafts and Table GrapesUndeterred by <strong>the</strong>se obstacles, Chavez<strong>to</strong>ok his $1,200 in savings and started<strong>the</strong> National Farm Workers' Associationseven years ago, setting up its headquartersin <strong>the</strong> San Joaquin Valley agricultural<strong>to</strong>wn of De<strong>la</strong>no. He clickedoff 300,000 miles in a battered 1953Mercury station wagon, crisscrossing <strong>the</strong>San Joaquin and talking <strong>to</strong> more than50,000 workers in <strong>the</strong> first six months.His money was soon gone, but he foundpeople who were willing <strong>to</strong> give himfood. The N.F.W.A. had its first formalmeeting in Fresno in September 1962;287 people showed up. Chavez soonstarted a death-benefits p<strong>la</strong>n for hismembers, a curious echo of <strong>the</strong> burial societiesorganized decades ago by EasternEuropean immigrants on <strong>the</strong>ir arrivalin <strong>the</strong> U.S. He also set up acredit union with $35 in assets (it nowhas more than $50,000). By August1964, he had 1,000 members, each paying$3.50 a month in dues-no smallsum for a farm worker's family. Soonhe began publishing a union newspapercalled El Malcriado (The Misfit), whosecircu<strong>la</strong>tion is 18,000.At <strong>la</strong>st <strong>the</strong> union felt strong enough17