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Chicano-Indian American Cultural Center miscellaneous newsletters, 1977-1978

Lettuce boycott: An expression of the consumer conscience

The United Farm Workers lettuce boycott is an issue of concern for everyone who eats the fruits and vegetables of migrant labor. In 1971 7,000 workers struck and boycotted the lettuce industry in Salinas, California, and the growers agreed to negotiate. After almost a year of fruitless talks, the workers learned that the lettuce industry had been using this time to finance and introduce legislation to destroy the union.
The conditions under which the farm workers live and labor demonstrate why they need a union. The Senate Subcommittee on Migratory Labor (1970) founded over 800,000 children under 16 years old working int he fields to help support their families. The U.S. Public Health Service estimates that while the other Americans can look forward to 70 years of life, the farm workers' life expectancy is only 49 years. Nation-wide, the average income for a family of four is $2,700 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Maternal and Infant mortality rates are 120 percent higher than the national average. The accident rate for farm workers is 300 percent higher than for other U.S.

____________________
"...killed by pesticide..."
____________________

workers. In 1969 HEW estimated that 800 farm workers a year are killed by pesticide poisoning. Without a representative union, farm workers have no job security, not grievance procedures, and no health insurance or retirement benefits.
Due to the lobbying efforts of the agribusiness interests, farm workers have been specifically excluded from the Wagner Act of 1935 and other legislation which protects the workers of other industries. This is why they must rely on the consumer boycott as a major bargaining tool. The grape boycott which began in 1968 is responsible for the success of the striking farm workers, who, in 1970, received contracts from 95 percent of the grape industry.
But the lettuce industry is much better organized than the grape growers

____________________
[Illustration text]
THE SOAP BOX
____________________

were. Right wing political groups like the John Birch Society are working to cloud the issue, portraying UFW president Cesar Chavez as a power-hungry labor boss, and the United Farm Workers as a threat to the free enterprise system. The American Farm Bureau, a tax exempt, multi-million dollar corporation, is supporting anti-farm worker legislation which has already been passed in Kansas, Arizona, and Idaho. In Arizona, H.R. 124, which was enacted August 15th of this year, establishes a residency requirement which disenfranchizes the migrant worker, and outlaws strikes at harvest time and the secondary boycott--negotiation tools without which the farm worker is powerless. A similar initiative is on the California ballot for this November. These are political efforts on the part of all lettuce growers--the three that have signed UFW contracts as well as the 200 whose workers are not represented by enforced contracts.
In their struggle for self-determination, the farm workers must turn to us,e the consumers, for support. As one of the poorest and most powerless groups in this country, they can threaten no one--not even the growers from whom they ask only the kind of security and protection that other workers already enjoy. We have formed the United Farm Workers Student Support Committee because we feel that we should be sensitive to the condition of the people who harvest the food we eat, and responsive to their need for our help in their struggle. We are convinced that only a strong, creative, and truly representative union can bring a measure of justice and dignity to the people who work in the fields.
There is much that you can do to help the primary boycott of lettuce:
1.) The most essential thing is to stop eating and buying lettuce. This small sacrifice multiplied nationwide wields an economic power that the growers cannot ignore. Our major organizing tool is the pledge. Make sure that all of your family, friends and acquaintances have signed pledges, and turn them in at the Chicano-Indian Cultural Center (115 N. Clinton) or at the UFW Support committee mail slot in the Student Activities Center. More pledges are available at the Chicano Center. The Activities Center in IMU and at Center East. The signed pledges are sent to the farm workers in California to show them our support. They can use them to show the growers that American will not buy oppression.
2.) Plan a house meeting. Invite your friends over to meet a boycott worker and learn about the lettuce boycott and the farm workers union. The informal atmosphere of these meetings help us communicate most effectively. 
3.) Arrange to have a boycott worker speak at the dormitory floor meetings, and meetings of other organizations. We also would like to get the word out through organizational news-letters and other publications. 
4.) Tell the dormitory food services and the University cafeterias that you are boycotting lettuce and ask for head lettuce to be removed. The states of Iowa,
________________________
"This small sacrifice multiplied..."
________________________

Illinois, and New York have eliminated lettuce from their government institution cafeterias. we should be able to get it off this campus.
5.) Share your talents with the farm workers. We need volunteer typists, office workers, artists, etc, and especially anyone with a talent for doing hard work. The main function of the support committee is to sensitize people to the lettuce issue, so if you can help us get the word to others, we need your help.
If you would like more information or would like to find out how you can help the farm worker support effort in Iowa City, contact Antonio Zavala at the Chicano-Indian Cultural Center or Helen Duffy at 338-3270.

[Handwriting] (unclear) 9/14/77

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Lettuce boycott: An expression of the consumer conscience The United Farm Workers lettuce boycott is an issue of concern for everyone who eats the fruits and vegetables of migrant labor. In 1971 7,000 workers struck and boycotted the lettuce industry in Salinas, California, and the growers agreed to negotiate. After almost a year of fruitless talks, the workers learned that the lettuce industry had been using this time to finance and introduce legislation to destroy the union. The conditions under which the farm workers live and labor demonstrate why they need a union. The Senate Subcommittee on Migratory Labor (1970) founded over 800,000 children under 16 years old working int he fields to help support their families. The U.S. Public Health Service estimates that while the other Americans can look forward to 70 years of life, the farm workers' life expectancy is only 49 years. Nation-wide, the average income for a family of four is $2,700 a year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Maternal and Infant mortality rates are 120 percent higher than the national average. The accident rate for farm workers is 300 percent higher than for other U.S. ____________________ "...killed by pesticide..." ____________________ workers. In 1969 HEW estimated that 800 farm workers a year are killed by pesticide poisoning. Without a representative union, farm workers have no job security, not grievance procedures, and no health insurance or retirement benefits. Due to the lobbying efforts of the agribusiness interests, farm workers have been specifically excluded from the Wagner Act of 1935 and other legislation which protects the workers of other industries. This is why they must rely on the consumer boycott as a major bargaining tool. The grape boycott which began in 1968 is responsible for the success of the striking farm workers, who, in 1970, received contracts from 95 percent of the grape industry. But the lettuce industry is much better organized than the grape growers ____________________ [Illustration text] THE SOAP BOX ____________________ were. Right wing political groups like the John Birch Society are working to cloud the issue, portraying UFW president Cesar Chavez as a power-hungry labor boss, and the United Farm Workers as a threat to the free enterprise system. The American Farm Bureau, a tax exempt, multi-million dollar corporation, is supporting anti-farm worker legislation which has already been passed in Kansas, Arizona, and Idaho. In Arizona, H.R. 124, which was enacted August 15th of this year, establishes a residency requirement which disenfranchizes the migrant worker, and outlaws strikes at harvest time and the secondary boycott--negotiation tools without which the farm worker is powerless. A similar initiative is on the California ballot for this November. These are political efforts on the part of all lettuce growers--the three that have signed UFW contracts as well as the 200 whose workers are not represented by enforced contracts. In their struggle for self-determination, the farm workers must turn to us,e the consumers, for support. As one of the poorest and most powerless groups in this country, they can threaten no one--not even the growers from whom they ask only the kind of security and protection that other workers already enjoy. We have formed the United Farm Workers Student Support Committee because we feel that we should be sensitive to the condition of the people who harvest the food we eat, and responsive to their need for our help in their struggle. We are convinced that only a strong, creative, and truly representative union can bring a measure of justice and dignity to the people who work in the fields. There is much that you can do to help the primary boycott of lettuce: 1.) The most essential thing is to stop eating and buying lettuce. This small sacrifice multiplied nationwide wields an economic power that the growers cannot ignore. Our major organizing tool is the pledge. Make sure that all of your family, friends and acquaintances have signed pledges, and turn them in at the Chicano-Indian Cultural Center (115 N. Clinton) or at the UFW Support committee mail slot in the Student Activities Center. More pledges are available at the Chicano Center. The Activities Center in IMU and at Center East. The signed pledges are sent to the farm workers in California to show them our support. They can use them to show the growers that American will not buy oppression. 2.) Plan a house meeting. Invite your friends over to meet a boycott worker and learn about the lettuce boycott and the farm workers union. The informal atmosphere of these meetings help us communicate most effectively. 3.) Arrange to have a boycott worker speak at the dormitory floor meetings, and meetings of other organizations. We also would like to get the word out through organizational news-letters and other publications. 4.) Tell the dormitory food services and the University cafeterias that you are boycotting lettuce and ask for head lettuce to be removed. The states of Iowa, ________________________ "This small sacrifice multiplied..." ________________________ Illinois, and New York have eliminated lettuce from their government institution cafeterias. we should be able to get it off this campus. 5.) Share your talents with the farm workers. We need volunteer typists, office workers, artists, etc, and especially anyone with a talent for doing hard work. The main function of the support committee is to sensitize people to the lettuce issue, so if you can help us get the word to others, we need your help. If you would like more information or would like to find out how you can help the farm worker support effort in Iowa City, contact Antonio Zavala at the Chicano-Indian Cultural Center or Helen Duffy at 338-3270. [Handwriting] (unclear) 9/14/77