Central Coast Farm Labor Organizing Collection

During this decade, hundreds would participate in the causa, thus making an historic upsurge in the Mexican and Chicano community's participation in the valley's public life. Durante esta década, cientos de personas participaron, incrimentando inesperadamente la participación de las comunidades mexicana y chicana en la vida pública del Valle de Santa Maria.

Farmers who have heeded call to halt work in the strawberry fields.

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.

Police video picketing action during lettuce thinning. Echavarria recalls how Roy Miname, son of grower Yataro Minami, gave him a karate chop to the neck after he had walked onto one of his fields to get workers to walk off their jobs. Echavarria said the Minamis filed trespassing charges against him, and made the charges stick. The incident was one of many in which UAW members committed civil disobedience to challenge laws that denied them access to the work place, a right long enjoyed by other industrial workers.

During the same picketing campaign, UAW supporters Maria Vac, far left, and Rosa Ischioneli, right, form groups to walk into the fields to urge workers to walk off their jobs.

Cesar Chavez, bodyguards at his side, tells workers how they can organize themselves to receive better wages, working conditions, and, most importantly, earn self-respect. Chavez had invited Santa Maria's UFW chapter to Coachella to help organize grape strikes and picket Teamster interference. Chávez, con sus guardaespaldas a sus lados, indica a los trabajadores como ellos pueden organizarse para recibir mejores salarios, improvisar las condiciones laborales, y, muy importante, ganar dignidad. Chávez había invitado la UFW de la región de Santa Maria a Coachella para ayudar a organizar boycoteos de uvas y vigilar las intervenciones de los traileros.

The hired "gorillas," as the UFW members called them, stand with Teamsters as the black-hatted man points his finger to underscore threats made against UFW supporters and organizers. Los gorilas contratados, como miembros de la UFW los llaman, se alinean junto a los traileros al momento que el hombre de sombrero negro apunta con su dedo para subrayar amenazas hechas contra los partidarios y organizadores de la UFW.

A day's work ends with UAW supporters and organizers picketing a vineyard at dusk.