How Labor Icon Cesar Chavez Changed America’s Unions
Cesar Chavez, Gilbert Padilla, and Dolores Huerta changed America when they founded the NFWA (National Farm Workers Association which was later changed to be “United Farm Workers” or UFW). And while all three individuals changed the face of labor in their own ways, Chavez is the most famous. He is mostly known for his work as the director of the NFWA, his real legacy is the guidebook he created that helped others successfully unionize and make a lasting positive difference on labor.
Chavez came from a family of farmers that had experienced exploitation firsthand. After serving in the Navy, he joined the CSO (Community Service Organization) and met Delores Huerta and Gilbert Padilla. At CSO he learned how to effectively organize and work to create a better reality for workers. Soon after, he got to work and decided to tackle California’s most profitable crop at the time, grapes.
Wine and grapes are some of California’s biggest exports, meaning they were ripe for exploitation. Workers were forced to use cheaper smaller tools that were known to cause lifelong back pain, were exposed to cancer causing insecticide and herbicide, and were paid very little.
Chavez focused on grapes because he knew he would create the most change and draw the most attention. He made several choices that essentially became the textbook for organizing a union in the 1900s: elect a “board” of leaders made up of the workers; create reasonable demands; use nonviolent means of protest if those demands aren’t met; bring in news organizations and politicians, so the world sees what’s wrong. These tenets were the core reason he was so successful at changing working conditions. But the most effective choice Chavez made was to embrace television.
Chavez’s work coincided with the rise of the home TV, meaning many Americans were able to see firsthand what work was like on these farms. He would quickly agree to interviews, especially on farms or at protests. This helped Americans across the nation see the issues farmworkers faced and allowed workers to see the power of a union and inspired many to create unions of their own.
Chavez became a celebrity, and he used his popularity to change agriculture and labor. His efforts not only changed the landscape of America, but also became a roadmap for future unions to follow.
Want to learn more about labor leaders? Check out these articles:
The Union that Changed American Labor
Celebrating Female Labor Leaders (We talk about Dolores Huerta in this one!)
Celebrating More Female Labor Leaders