Farm workers vow big vote

California: Hundreds of farm workers and their families gathered at 
"Forty Acres," the United Farm Worker's (UFW) most hallowed ground, and 
cheered as UFW President Arturo Rodriguez denounced an attempt by the 
ultra-right to recall California Governor Gray Davis.

"The Republicans were not satisfied with what the voters decided last 
November", he said. "They are taking a cheap shot at it for the second 
time. They are trying to rob us of what we already decided. . Shame on 
Arnold Schwarzenegger for making himself a part of it."

Rodriguez praised Davis for signing a Bill that provides for binding 
mediation when growers and farmworkers reach an impasse in bargaining.

One of Schwarzenegger's economic advisors, Rodriguez added, is David 
Murdock, chairman and CEO of Dole Food Company, one of California's largest 
agribusiness corporations.

Schwarzenegger's team "is made up of key aides to former Governor Pete 
Wilson", Rodriguez added. "Under Governor Wilson, enforcement of the laws 
protecting farm workers was effectively shut down." The Agricultural Labor 
Relations Act guaranteeing farm workers union rights was decimated.

Tens of thousands of farm workers, Rodriguez continued, "lost the union 
contracts that had dramatically improved their lives. Because of the 
Republicans, thousands of farm workers were fired or blacklisted for 
supporting the UFW. . A 19-year-old farm worker, Rene Lopez, was shot to 
death when he was voting in a state-conducted union election at a dairy 
farm in Fresno County."

Flanking Rodriguez as he spoke were Mexican American mayors, city council 
members and school board members from up and down the San Joaquin valley, 
testifying to the growing clout of the Latino vote. He vowed a strong UFW 
get-out-the-vote campaign to defeat the recall. Beside him stood Leftenant 
Governor Cruz Bustamante, a Democratic candidate for governor, son of 
Mexican immigrant farm workers, born and raised in Dinuba just north of 
here.

"Today the farm workers endorse 'No' on recall and 'Yes' on Bustamante 
because Cruz is on the right side and Arnold is not", Rodriguez said. He 
praised Bustamante for joining the UFW march on Sacramento last spring 
demanding enactment of the binding arbitration law and for helping block 
enforcement of Proposition 187 that would have denied public assistance to 
undocumented workers.

Davis, he pointed out, has promised to sign a bill permitting these workers 
to obtain driver's licences. Bustamante supports that legislation as well, 
but Schwarzenegger said he would veto the driver's licence Bill if he were 
governor.

Bustamante said, "I'm proud to be standing with the farm workers who feed 
the nation, here where the United Farm Workers was born." He vowed to fight 
for living wages and benefits, including health care for farm worker 
families who add $30 billion in value annually to California agriculture, 
the largest sector of the state's economy.

Asked when he would come out for Davis' recall, Bustamante replied, "There 
is a principle involved. Someone is trying to hijack democracy. When I go 
into that voting booth October 7, I will vote 'No' on recall." The crowd 
cheered and chanted, "Recall, No! Bustamante, Si!"

"Forty Acres," about one mile west of Delano, hacienda-style buildings 
surrounded by towering date palms, is the first UFW headquarters. UFW 
founder Cesar Chavez staged a 25-day fast here in support of a farm 
workers' strike in March 1968.

Robert F Kennedy came to visit Chavez and to endorse farm worker union 
rights just before his assassination. The first UFW contract was signed 
with table grape growers here July 29, 1970, ending a five-year strike and 
boycott. It is now the regional headquarters for the UFW in the San Joaquin 
valley, the most productive farmland in the nation but also among the 
poorest for working families.

Gustavo Aguirre, UFW Vice President in charge of the San Joaquin valley, 
told this reporter that blocking the Republican power grab "is a matter of 
life and death for farm workers. We are going to work hard in getting out 
the vote in the valley to keep Davis in office or put Bustamante in. The 
only way farm workers and working families can move forward is to have 
someone in the governor's office who is enforcing the law."

Maribel Olvera, 16, held a placard with a photo of Schwarzenegger embracing 
Wilson and the words, "No RePete." In Spanish, it added, "Tell me who you 
are walking with and I will tell you who you are." She told the People's 
Weekly World, "I'm a junior in high school. I want to go to college. But 
Wilson raised the tuition rate and I'm afraid Schwarzenegger will too."

Strolling through the crowd with his guitar and singing "De Colores" was 
Carlos Moraza. "It's the song of the movement," he told this reporter. 
"Cesar loved it. It says the colors of the rainbow bring us together. If 
these Republicans steal back the governorship, it would set us back. They 
don't know how to represent workers."

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People's Weekly World