The Role of United Farm Workers Association (UFW) in America

"UFW: The Official Web Page of the United Farm Workers of America." UFW: The Official

Web Page of the United Farm Workers of America. 01 May 2012.
 

 

The Role of United Farm Workers Association (UFW) in America

       United Farm Workers Association (UFW) played a vital role in improving the lives of farm working communities of the California. After a fierce struggle against growers, government and the police, its establishment in 1962 was a probe result of collective effort by many, and the outcomes were so astounding. As an organization, United Farm Workers, (UFW), brought,

“The first union contracts eliminating farm labor contractors and guaranteeing farm workers seniority, rights and job security, establishing the first comprehensive union health benefits for farm workers and their families through the UFW's Robert F. Kennedy Medical Plan, the first and only functioning pension plan for retired farm workers, the Juan de la Cruz Pension Plan, the first functioning credit union for farm workers, the first union contracts regulating safety and sanitary conditions in farm labor camps, banning discrimination in employment and sexual harassment of women workers, the first union contracts providing for profit sharing and parental leave.”

It took long time for United Farm Workers Association to be recognized by growers and government bodies as an intermediate body working on behalf of farm workers. All the hiring and legal matters related to the farm workers will be dealt by the union. The perseverance of the union leaders and specially Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta was outstanding. Good organization needs smart and brave people. The union’s transcendent work is still in effect. The level of trust farm workers put on their union is glue which can’t be separated from the union. Success is comes with hard work. As Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” The Union has been doing the same thing over and over again.

Dolores Huerta

The Dolores Huerta Foundation. Dolores Huerta Foundation. 30 Apr. 2012 .

"www.doloreshuerta.org"

Dolores Huerta

One of the key players of the UFW was Dolores Huerta. In all the strikes, the leading expertise of Cesar would have been a failure if it was not the skillful negotiator of Ms. Huerta. As a teacher and a well to do family member, she didn’t wait and set hoping for change to come to the people’s way. Rather she picked up the “Hulugna” and continued to fight the fight of what people thought men’s fight. Besides, bringing powerful people to the table for discussion is half the battle but persuades farmers’ opponents was the other half. Using her knowledge and language skills, Huerta pushed hard and made growers to agree with the best terms the union brought forth and this was the enormous achievement. Huerta once said, “I couldn’t stand seeing farm worker children come to class hungry and in need of shoes. I thought I could do more by organizing farm workers than by trying to teach their hungry children.” She has done what she has committed her life for and her commitment was magnanimous.

Annotated Bibliography

Levy, Jacques E., and Cesar Chavez. Cesar Chavez: Autobiography of La Causa. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota, 2007. Print.

Cesar Chavez, leader of the United Farm Workers had proven that nonviolence was the only way to address the unspeakable horrors and unprecedented challenges the farm workers had to endure at the farms and inside the communities. Chavez once said, “But in seeking social change, I am positive nonviolence is the way, morally and tactically, especially in our society where those in power resort to clubs, tear gas, and guns. I have seen nonviolence work many times in many ways. (5)." I will be discussing the noble idea of nonviolence activism which lead the UFW to big legislation of collective bargaining, health and benefit packages and the grant of amnesty by the United States of America.