By Marie Mulvenna

Atlantans are becoming more and more aware of the plight of the farm worker, thanks to Nancy and John Makoviak who are devoting countless hours to raising public awareness and helping provide assistance for the cause of the migrant farm worker.

Recent newcomers to Atlanta, the Makoviaks bring with them years of experience in the union movement. Nancy worked for the United Farm Workers (UFW) in California and was sent to Arizona where she met John, a member of the steel workers union who did volunteer work for the UFW cause. Now Georgians, the Makoviaks direct local efforts on behalf of the UFW. Efforts that include the disseminating of information on workers and their conditions as well as offering Atlantans a tangible means of getting "involved" with the movement and its aims.

In addition to meeting with groups and individuals presenting facts on the farm worker movement, the Makoviaks actively take part in local demonstrations against stores who continue to carry non-union products, specifically non-union picked lettuce and grapes. Current efforts are underway against area Winn Dixie stores.

Nancy Makoviak speaks softly but with a feeling as she says, "when you look at the workers' powerlessness it's really an abominable situation." She discusses the background of the workers' efforts to unionize, explaining that "when the people try to organize, the great power of the grower comes out."

"It is a great inconvenience for them (growers) to have a contract with the UFW." She adds that there is a lot of force and power marshaled by the growers against attempts to organize. This same power, she explains, has been the basis for UFW charges against the growers for using physical force, permitting inhumane conditions and encouraging neo-slavery situations.

"The growers," she says, "have no power in places such as Atlanta and therefore the people in the cities who support the workers can display some of their own power economically. By that, I mean that the person who sympathizes with the deplorable conditions of the worker can display some economic power." "Let's face it," she adds, "if we here in Atlanta don't buy their lettuce and grapes, they soon get the message."

The plight of the farm worker is much more real and tragic than most persons imagine, Nancy stated. She related that the average life expectancy of a farm worker was 49 years; 200-300 percent suffer more respiratory disease than the average American. This, she explains, is from indiscriminate spraying of pesticides while workers are in fields, exposing them to a multitude of dangerous chemicals. In addition, the infant mortality rate for farm workers is 125% higher than the national average and a sixth grade education is average for a farm worker's child.

The struggle in California over UFW or Teamster Union representation has been a heated and involved one, with each side claiming it should represent the farm worker. In 1970, Nancy said, the UFW had 200 contracts for grape workers when the growers went to the Teamsters for new contracts.

"These contracts," Nancy said, "gave the worker no voice at all. There's a tremendous difference between the paper of the Teamster contract and the action." This, she explained, was evident in many areas, from wages to health protection from pesticides.

According to Nancy, the Teamster contract gives the worker the lowest imaginable wages, no medical protection, permitting almost a million children to work in the fields and virtually ignoring health laws. She said it permits near slavery with labor contractors hiring scores of workers at the lowest rates possible. Teamster dues, she stated, run $10.50 a month with high initiation fees, no grievance process and little real protection.

The UFW contract does not let the grower "get away with such things," she reports, adding that the UFW protection is substantial with dues of only $3.50 per month and no initiation fee. There are countless benefits, protective measures, medical insurance and minimum wages via the UFW contract, Nancy says, adding that "of course the grower saves money and headaches with a Teamster contract."

She cited one example of a farm worker who had put in 27 hours in the field, earning $75.00 After the Teamsters took out dues, initiation fees, his housing, electricity and water, the man had a net total of $1.10 for 27 hours of work.

"There definitely is a role for the average person in Atlanta," Nancy says, stating that no matter how far away they are from the actual situation, they can play a meaningful role. "It's really education -- even a first grader can understand the meaning of sacrifice by not eating lettuce. Such an effort as this has an effect on people even though they are miles apart. It helps educate people, for we are responsible for one another and everyone can make some sort of contribution in this direction."

American Bishops lent the support of their national conference to efforts to boycott lettuce and table grapes until elections could be held. This was a specific means whereby Catholics of the nation could help the worker, Nancy said.

Atlanta-based efforts right now include meetings with representatives of chain stores, asking them not to carry boycotted items. Very often, the UFW delegates go to the owners of the stores, explaining that the plight of the workers is not just an economic one, but also a moral one. Nancy adds that sometimes the store owner is most willing to go along with the UFW request.

Just recently, a small demonstration was held in Atlanta against the Coca Cola Company. The demonstration was aimed at the Minute Maid division of Coke, whose UFW contract had expired in January, 1975. Nancy related that the Atlanta Coke officials invited the entire delegation into their offices and seemed eager to understand the needs of the Minute Maid workers. She said she was encouraged by the Coke officials' response and added that three days later negotiations were re-opened at the Florida headquarters of the Minute Maid Corporation.

UFW representatives also spend time with other labor unions who are normally sympathetic to the farm workers. UFW personnel spend time as well on college campuses, showing films and speaking to students on the needs of the workers.

Reflecting on the philosophy of local efforts, Nancy says "life has to involve social action. The more a person expends himself for others, the more human he is." Nancy explained that when they (UFW) boycott a local store they are asking consumers not to shop at that particular store because the store carries products directly related to the farm workers.

By way of background, she explained that agricultural workers have never been covered by protective legislation. "Workers' laws passed since 1935 exclude agricultural workers -- this applies to minimum wage laws, too," Nancy says. On September 2, a new California law provided the chance for workers on ranches to select a union of their choice -- the first such law permitting workers to vote for or against unionization as well as which union they wished to represent them. To date, Nancy reported, the UFW has won 35 elections, with 11 going to the rival Teamsters. Of those 11, the UFW are contesting seven on the grounds that unfair labor practices were used. Specifically, alleged charges of "locking up" workers so they could not vote, physical force and threats to close down so the worker would have no future job.

The confusing topic of secondary boycotts was explained by Nancy who related that although the National Labor Relations (NLR) Act specifies such boycotts are illegal, it is "extremely hard to define." Basically, she said, "it means one union going on strike in sympathy for another union." In reality, she stated, this Act does not cover agricultural workers at all. "So many judges have come down with so many different decisions on interpreting this type of boycott that it really is difficult to define. We do not ask other unions to strike because of the UFW. We ask only that the consumer not shop in that store. That is a consumer boycott only."

Ninety-nine percent of farm workers are Catholic, Nancy noted, adding that every UFW staff member, from Caesar Chavez on down, receives the same salary -- $5.00 per week plus basic living expenses. Since Chavez began the union in 1962, the hourly wage has risen from $0.85 to an average of $2.40 an hour. Heated debate and struggle has highlighted the efforts of the UFW to represent the thousands of farm workers in California. Court cases continue to be filed and fought, with feelings running high on both sides.

In Atlanta, the Makoviaks continue to educate people to the conditions of the farm workers. Nancy Makoviak says one of their greatest aims is to get the public to realize that they personally can do something to help. "Every attempt makes a big difference," she says, adding that she and her husband hope the people of Atlanta will respond by aiding their efforts to help the farm workers of the nation.