Police officer and lettuce farmers

Meanwhile, local UFW organizers and supporters find a new way to support the national lettuce boycott: they target farm workers in the lettuce fields during the desaije, or the crucial thinning stage. Police stand by to keep the peace. Failure to thin could stunt the crop's growth. Echavarria estimated that as much as 50 percent of lettuce crop was made unfit for packing. The tactic proved so successful that Chavez used thinning strikes with other crops. Growers replaced workers who honored picket lines with scabs. Short-handled hoe remained in use.