The Colorful Life of Cesar Chavez, a Famous Labor Leader Essay Example

years. In 1952, Chavez met Fred Ross, who was part of a group called the Community Service Organization (CSO) formed by Saul Alinsky. Chavez became part of the organization and began urging Mexican-Americans to register and vote. Chavez traveled throughout California and made speeches in support of workers' rights.

He became general director of CSO in 1958. Four years later, however, Chavez left CSO to form his own organization, which he called the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA). The name was later changed to the United Farm Workers (UFW). In 1965, Chavez and the NEWA led a strike of California grape-pickers to demand higher wages for winegrape pickers in Delano, California.

He led the grape pickers to march from Delano to Sacramento, California, a 340 mile march. In addition to the strike, he encouraged all Americans to boycott table grapes as a show of support. The strike lasted five years and attracted national attention. When the U.S. Senate Subcommittee looked into the situation, Robert Kennedy gave Chavez his total support. In 1968, Chavez called on consumers nationwide to stop buying table grapes grown in California.

This boycott became one of the most successful in U.S. History. Numerous student groups, churches, and political organizations backed the union, and many California growers were forced to sign contracts in 1970. The contract agreed to provide workers with better pay, benefits, health care, sanitary working conditions, and job security. The growers also promised to restrict the use of harmful pesticides in the fields.

The name of the organization changed to United Farm Workers of America. The UFWA led additional boycotts during the 1970s in a demand or

union contracts for other labor workers. These boycotts helped pass the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act in 1975. This law guaranteed farm workers in California the right to join unions and bargain as a group. It also protected farm workers from unfair labor practices. Chavez continued to lead more boycott in the 1980s.

However, he was criticized by many UFWAs local leaders for not concentrating the unions efforts on recruiting more members in the organization. By the mid-1980s membership had dropped to about 15,000 members instead of the starting number which was 50,000. In 1984 Chavez led another boycott to prevent the use of pesticides but fewer consumers joined than the previous boycott. This was Chavez last boycott, his death on April 23, 1993 sparked the people and once again supported the union, and membership increased in the 1990s. Cesar Estrada Chavez was a Mexican-American civil rights activist, a former farm worker and the leader of the United Farm Workers. Cesar was a GREAT AMERICAN to many people especially to the migrant workers.

With his tireless leadership and strong courage he led many people in working to get a better job for themselves and to fight for their rights. The actions that Chavez took werent only for the migrant farm workers but for all the Americans that were found in the same situations. Also his strong attitude made people see things differently and made the attitudes of others change too.