History Behind: The Delano Grape Strike
On September 8, 1965, thousands of workers in Delano grape fields voted to strike despite all possible risks of lost wages and evictions. Over 2,000 Filipino farm workers struck at ten grape vineyards across Delano. The workers demanded raised wages (both hourly and by box) and were affiliated with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC). AWOC had previously won similar concessions for grape workers in the Coachella Valley. However, there was a large risk of growers replacing the striking Filipino crews with new Mexican workers to put a check on union power.
Though young, the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) had gained influence. The NFWA had voted to join and help the strike, and despite this regional growers had resigned to refuse negotiations with striking workers. However, as this movement began gaining widespread attention, it began gaining support from the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE). Though this movement started as a hope for raised wages, it ultimately ended as a reform movement in supporting workers' rights.
Filipino American grape workers walked out in protest of years of poor conditions and pay. The AWOC asked for Cesar Chavez, of the NFWA, to join in on their strike. Though the organization was new Chavez voted to join the Filipino workers’ walkouts on Mexican Independence Day. As the strike went on it gained support from other unions of activists, students, minorities, and civil rights organizations. The strikes began to turn to boycotts of grapes that continued to spread throughout North America. Chavez had asked for the protestors to take a solemn vow of nonviolence, leading a 300-mile march from Delano to Sacramento in order to bring national attention to their cause.
There were many risks associated with going on strike, and the workers had to be prepared to risk themselves and their families for the cause. For example, many workers lived in grower-owned housing – which they and their families had a large chance of being kicked out of once the strike began. Along with this, the loss of wages would make it even harder to buy food or any necessities. During the winter of 1967-68 strikers, especially younger strikers, were growing impatient with seeing no victory – or hope of any victory – any time soon. Despite the loss of morale, Chavez continued to push for a nonviolent approach to the boycott.
Chavez went as far as to set himself on a hunger strike and went without food for 25 days and only drank water throughout the duration of that time. Chavez was heavily influenced by Mahatma Gandhi with the use of nonviolent protests and hunger strikes. The fast proved to work in demoting the use of violent practices among those protesting and gained him the admiration and attention of many notable figures of the day. With the turn of this event, the AWOC and NFWA began touring around North America telling stories of their work on the farms to organize support for the grape boycott. The effort to gain support nationally would work, as the boycott would end in a huge success for the Latino grape workers. They would sign union contracts with higher pay, better benefits, and more protections. This would become the standard for farm workers across the country for years to come.
This strike took place at the time when the civil rights movement was in high gear with prominent figures such as Martin Luther King Jr. that would give Ceasar Chavez figures to take after and use as an influence. Working conditions have been a concern even as far back as the 1920s, when factory conditions convinced muckrakers to publish literature in an effort to change dangerous and unsanitary ways. This is yet another way nonviolence has been used as a way to make a large amount of change even when a force has been pitted against you.
