Word: chavez
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Every day at dawn last week, Cesar Chavez was out in the green and gold California fields, pleading with Mexican, Filipino, Yemenite and native American workers. At 7:15 a.m. one day, the charismatic Chicano had to halt his early-bird campaigning and leave the Elmco Ranch near Delano, Calif. The time had arrived for the 725 workers on the huge, grape-laden spread to decide whether to join Chavez's beleaguered United Farm Workers of America or remain in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which has held the union contract since 1973. The election yielded a margin...
...last are getting a chance to decide by secret ballot which union should represent them. By week's end the U.F.W. had won 24 elections, the Teamsters 14. Which union would win the most remained in doubt-the series of elections will run well into next year-but Chavez appeared to be staging a comeback...
...most symbolically important contest had yet to be decided. Chavez and his supporters have been boycotting the wines of the E. & J. Gallo Winery -California's largest producer-since 1973, when Gallo officials declined to renew their contract with the U.F.W. and instead signed with the Teamsters. At that time, workers did not vote their own preference for which union would represent them. The growers negotiated directly with the union heads. Last week 233 Gallo grape pickers voted to stick with the Teamsters, while 131 chose the U.F.W. But both unions challenged 198 ballots-throwing the outcome in doubt...
...Chavez began organizing farm workers in 1962, and by 1970 had attracted more than 50,000 members, signing contracts with nearly 300 growers. But the firebrand fizzled at administration: some workers complained that the U.F.W. hiring-hall system separated families, sending parents and children to different fields. Growers accused the group of "irresponsible unionism" primarily for staging extensive, punishing boycotts. That opened the door for the Teamsters, who began recruiting hard in 1972. Better organized and well financed, the Teamsters, by stressing their professionalism and reliability, won contracts with about 375 California growers. Before last week's elections...
Heads Cracked. Chavez and his supporters charged that the Teamsters had succeeded by threatening workers -indeed, some heads were cracked in bloody confrontations-and by persuading growers to switch from the more militant U.F.W. without consulting workers. They also charged that Teamsters negotiated "sweetheart contracts" with growers. The Teamsters said they had thousands of petitions from workers who wanted Teamster representation...