UFW Tries to Silence Boycott Driscoll’s Activists at Cesar Chavez March

[ FUJ member Lazaro Matamoros and Chelsea Thaw of FUJ’s boycott coordination team carry a Boycott Driscoll’s banner in the annual Cesar Chavez March in Salinas, California. April 3, 2016. Photo by Michal Garcia. ]

UFW Tries to Silence Boycott Driscoll’s Activists at Cesar Chavez March

On Sunday, April 3, Michael Garcia and fellow Watsonville Brown Berets traveled a short distance to Salinas, California to attend the annual Cesar Chavez March and Rally presented by United Farm Workers (UFW). The Watsonville Brown Berets were joined by members of Familias Unidas por la Justicia (FUJ), an independent farmworker union in Burlington, Washington fighting for a union contract, and initiators of the boycott against Driscoll's.

The Watsonville Brown Berets (WBB) and FUJ activists spoke with people assembled at Cesar Chavez Community Park and handed out flyers about the growing movement to boycott Driscoll's, the world's largest berry distributor. FUJ, along with tens of thousands of farmworkers in San Quintín, México, are fighting to end wage theft and poverty wages, inhumane production standards, and retaliation from protected union activity.

Although advocating for farmworkers' rights seems like it would be warmly welcomed by UFW, that was unfortunately not the experience for WBB and FUJ members. Garcia, born and raised in Watsonville, noticed that his friend was working the stage and asked if his group could have some time later to speak about the Driscoll's boycott. Garcia's friend, who was both the owner of the stage and a mariachi musician performing at the event, agreed to provide Garcia time. The stage owner, however, was then reportedly approached by UFW representatives and specifically told that UFW does not want WBB or FUJ speaking from the stage.

Prior to parading through the streets of Salinas, Garcia enthusiastically approached UFW Regional Director Lauro Barajas and asked if it was OK if they carried their “Boycott Driscoll’s” banner towards the front of the march. Garcia was denied and then told that UFW did not want him to carry the banner at all during the march.

In an interview the next day at a cafe in Watsonville, Garcia, feeling disenchanted by UFW and their annual event, observed that, "In Salinas people were just worshipping and romanticizing the past and Cesar Chavez. There was nothing going on in the march speaking to contemporary issues, other than our signs calling for the Driscoll's boycott. It just seemed like one big UFW advertisement. The only thing they were advocating for was overtime in the fields." Garcia respects the community members of Salinas, but says UFW representatives are, "A bunch of sellouts making money by romanticizing off the past."

When FUJ boycott coordinator Andrew Eckels approached a UFW representative to ask permission to speak from the stage about the FUJ, Eckels was given the cold shoulder and completely ignored. Garcia reiterates, "The whole time we were there, we were treated like unwelcome guests."

While dialoging with Barajas after the march, Garcia asked, “What is the UFW doing right now for the San Quintín and Washington state farmworkers?”

Garcia says that Barajas, the UFW’s Regional Director, stuck his hand right in Garcia’s face and replied, “We’re doing a lot more than you think.”

To which Garcia interjected, "Yes, but specifically what are you doing for the Driscoll's boycott?"

“Nothing.” Barajas replied with a proud smirk.

The rally in the park continued after the march, and despite UFW’s wishes, the stage owner granted advocates of the Driscoll’s boycott a few minutes to address the crowd. FUJ member Lázaro Matamoros primarily spoke followed by closing words from FUJ boycott coordinator Andrew Eckels. This came after all the other organizational representatives had already spoken, and following a performance by the mariachi band. Still, UFW wanted nothing to do with farmworkers fighting for dignity and justice against Driscoll’s. Garcia recalls, “As soon as we started talking, the main UFW representative [Lauro Barajas, UFW Regional Director] started pulling out UFW flags from around the stage.”

Garcia states that overall, "The thing that made me feel most disconnected was to learn that the UFW representative specifically pointed our group out to the stage owner and said he did not want us on the stage."

While many people have heard heroic tales about Cesar Chavez and United Farm Workers, less is known about the negative aspects of the organization. UFW's record includes lying about Cesar Chavez being the founder of United Farm Workers.

UFW has left Larry Itliong and other Filipinos out of public narratives about the historic farmworkers' movement.

"It's very important getting him recognized for what he did," Johnny Itliong, Larry's son, told NBC News. "He didn't do it himself, but he initiated it all…How did Cesar Chavez become the founder of a union he was asked to join? That's on him for creating the fallacy, doesn't mean he didn't do any good. Just a matter of setting the record straight."

To this day, the UFW website's 'About Us' section continues to perpetuate the founder myth by stating, "As president of the United Farm Workers of America, Arturo S. Rodriguez is continuing to build the union Cesar Chavez founded ..."

UFW accepts sponsorship from corporations such as Chevron, Budweiser, Southern California Gas Co., AT&T, and Southwest Airlines. In addition to corporate sponsorships, the UFW has a history of silencing community members fighting for justice. During a grassroots protest called March Against Salinas Police Brutality on May 25, 2014, UFW organizers suppressed anti-police messages.

In a scathing critique published on May 19, 2014 exposing experiences working as an organizer for United Farm Workers, La Stephanie, an "Indigenous badass" writes:

"Ultimately, I cut my time at the union short because I couldn’t take it anymore. Being in the UFW was reminiscent of being back in an abusive home. As a child survivor of domestic violence, I make no qualms about calling abusive behavior out and my supervisor was ill-equipped to handle strong women. If you didn’t play the docile, well-behaved woman, it was as if you were speaking a language he didn’t understand. As a defense (because he felt threatened), my supervisor made me feel irrational for continuously bringing up the lack of women in the Union. He was also manipulative and sometimes controlling, at times asking where I was during my off time."

In conclusion, Garcia concedes, "I've known these things about the UFW for a while now, but it was upsetting to actually see it and experience it myself. The UFW has gone a long way since it's beginning, but unfortunately not for the better of the farmworkers they're supposed to be fighting for."

Previous coverage of the boycott Driscoll’s movement:

• Boycott Driscoll’s Action in Watsonville
• Boycott Driscoll’s Action at Whole Foods Market in Santa Cruz
• Message from San Quintín to the United States: Boycott Driscoll’s
• Boycott Driscoll’s West Coast Tour at Driscoll’s HQ in Watsonville
• Boycott Driscoll’s Outreach on Watsonville’s Main Street

Bradley Allen is a reporter and photographer in the Monterey Bay area, and part of the Indybay collective. Follow him on Twitter: @BradleySA.