By Marie Mulvenna

The long brewing storm over unionization of California farm workers, spawned in the grape dispute of 1970 and currently raging around the heated lettuce controversy, has reached hurricane proportions.

The growing fracas over unionization of the farmworker involves the Teamsters Union and the United Farm Workers Union (UFWU) led by Cesar Chavez. No sooner had Chavez filed suit for $213 million against the Teamsters and 200 California growers and shippers than the Teamsters responded with news they were “renegotiating contracts to improve wages and working conditions of farm workers,” a move immediately denounced by the UFWU as “fraud.” According to UFWU officials the Teamster move is a “flagrant example of collusion between the Teamsters and the growers to prevent farm workers from getting the union of their choice.”

The California Supreme Court upheld the “collusion” accusation of the UFWU, contending that the Teamsters had indeed received “favored” treatment by the growers in signing the contracts without permitting their workers a choice of union. While upholding the legality of the questionable 1970 contracts, the Supreme Court did rule that previous court decisions and injunctions obtained in 1970 barring UFWU boycotts and strikes, were invalid. Chavez’ reaction to the court decision was that the UFWU would take full advantage of the right to boycott and strike. “We are now ready to pick up where we left off on September 16, 1970.” Chavez stated.

The present tempest had its beginnings some two and a half years ago. Following the settlement of the grape dispute in June 1970, Chavez said he would then organize the field workers of the Salinas Valley often referred to as the state’s “lettuce bowl.” Teamster officials were then involved with Salinas growers, negotiating for contracts for packinghouse employees and tractor drivers. Apparently hoping to avoid Chavez, the growers rapidly and quietly signed contracts with the Teamsters covering field workers as well.

A strike then followed and in August of 1970 the U.S. Bishops’ Farm Labor Committee was called in to mediate the dispute, resulting in a jurisdictional pact that left the packing house workers with the Teamsters. Some large growers then negotiated with the UFWU but some 200 declined to do so, refusing to cancel their Teamster contracts. Chavez then called a boycott of all lettuce in the valley not picked by his members. Once again, the bishop’s committee entered the picture and the earlier agreement was again confirmed. Chavez called a moratorium on his boycott to permit growers to work out the situation with the Teamsters. Locals of the Teamsters group in Salinas refused to abide by the pact made by their Western Conference headquarters. Their stand was supported by growers and once again the lettuce boycott was on.

Several additional attempts have been made by the bishops’ committee but with no result. Teamster officials were adamant in their refusal to heed the jurisdictional pact and indicated that would instead expand their efforts among the field workers. William Grami, an official of the Western Teamsters, said his group would plan to enforce the contracts. “We had an agreement,” Grami said, “that we would not actively engage in organizing activities among field workers. But that decision has been changed and we are actively preparing to engage in such activities.” Grami, who is also director of organizing for the Teamsters, said the new contracts offer more benefits for the workers than those of the UFWU. “We are also working to organize disgruntled workers currently under contracts with the UFWU in both the vegetable and grape industries,” Grami stated, adding they had found no particular resistance to signing up members in view of the contracts.

Chavez recently stated that papal social encyclicals such as Rerum Novarum “give us a very good case for our struggles.” Chavez contends that the contract struggle is a question of social justice commenting “we are willing to do an honest day’s labor and we expect the company to treat us as workers,” he stated. He added that the “encyclicals have become living documents for us … a living reality.”

Chavez stated his appreciation of support from numerous Church groups, including bishops, religious and laity and related the help derived when local church conferences, senates etc. support the lettuce boycott. “People must understand that our people come from a Mexican culture,” adding the Church played an important role in the culture and tradition of the Mexican people.

Among the many Church leaders supporting the lettuce boycott is Cardinal John Dearden of Detroit who recently urged all people and groups in the archdiocese to boycott head (iceberg) lettuce that is not marked with the black Aztec eagle label. Said Cardinal Dearden: “The immediate issue is the workers’ right to bargain collectively, a right defended in traditional Catholic teaching and reaffirmed by the Second Vatican Council. The fundamental issue, however, is the lettuce workers’ right to a decent life for themselves and their families.” The Detroit resolution noted that “the quality of life for farmworkers has improved in areas where the workers have been able to organize and negotiate through the United Farm Workers.”