Local Grocers Forced To Support Ufw

Local Grocers Forced to Support UFW

Farmer Jack's and Great Scott, both state-wide grocery chains, have signed an agreement not to sell "scab" lettuce or grapes. The action comes following an intensive boycott and picketing by UFW (United Farm Workers) members and supporters.

Picketing is continuing at A&P stores throughout Michigan (including Ann Arbor), and in Detroit an emphasis is being put on pressuring Wrigley's to sell only UFW lettuce and grapes.

The picketing at A&P was temporarily under an injunction limiting the UFW and it supporters from having no more than two picketers within 50 feet of the store entrance. The injunction led to the arrest of 75 people in Detroit and suburbs on Saturday, December 1. Among those arrested was Richard Chavez, director of the Michigan boycott, and broher of UFW president Cesar Chavez. No one was arrested in Ann Arbor for picketing, as the A2 police declared the injunction did not apply to Washtenaw County.

Judge Vernon Hampton, of the Oakland County Circuit Court, later reversed his own ruling, and charges were dropped against the picketers arrested in Detroit.

On the national front, the UFW has encountered new problems as the Teamsters refused to honor an agreement made earlier in the fall to give up grape contracts.

Frank E, Fitzsimmons, president of the powerful International Brotherhood of Teamsters, not only said that his union would not abide by the agreement, but claimed that there had never been an agreement in the first place.

The verbal agreement, worked out in Washington by the UFW, the Teamsters and the AFL-C1O, called for the Teamsters to immediately rescind all grape contracts taken from the UFW, including Gallow and Franzia wine contracts and contracts with two major lettuce growers. Other Teamster lettuce contracts would not be renewed when they expire in 1975.

In return, the UFW had permitted the Teamsters to organize cannery work, indoors packing workers, and truck drivers to give up its lettuce boycott until the Teamster contracts expire.

The UFW had been pressuring the Teamsters to sign the agreement when Fitzsimmons announced the break-off on November 15 after meeting with California growers in San Diego. He said that the union would keep  its "moral and legal" commitments to the growers.

The rejection of the agreement by  Fitzsimmons is apparently a political move to consolidate power in the face of a possible power coup by former Teamster president, James Hoffa. Hoffa's claims that can not legally give up the grape contracts has gained steadily increasing popularity from the rank and file of the union.

This is not the first time the Teamsters have reneged on an agreement with the farmworkers. The UFW actively began to organize lettuce workers in 1970. But the lettuce growers, rather than deal with the UFW- fresh from the grape growers and strong in its demands for decent wages and working conditions- set out to find a union less likely to fight so hard for farmworkers' rights.

They settled on the Teamsters and the two promptly made a series of "sweetheart" contracts. Today about 85 percent of the lettuce produced in this country comes from California and Arizona and most of it is harvested under Teamster contracts.

In March, 1971 , however, the Teamsters amid growing support for the UFW from organized labor- including the powerful AFL-CIO - made a pact with the Farmworkers. They agreed to only represent the lettuce packers and shippers and to allow the UFW to represent those actually working in the fields. They also agreed not to renegotiate their contracts with the growers contract time came around again.

But on December 17, 1972, less than a year later, (and a year in which Teamsters moved closer and closer to the Nixon administration, known for its anti-UFW position) the giant union backed out of its agreement.

In April, 1973, the Teamsters continued union-smashing tactics by signing sweetheart contracts with over 40 grape growers in the Coachella Valley, previously contracted with the UFW. And all through the spring and summer, the sweetheart contracts grew in number.

The UFW responded with an all-out strike in the vineyards despite the danger from Teamster "goons" hired to guard the the fields. Before the strike harvest was over, two UFW pickets were killed and many more were injured from the confrontations.

But there may be one benefit from the fall of the current agreement. At last, the powerful AFL-CIO will be forced to throw its full weight (13 million members) behind the grape and lettuce boycotts. The Teamsters have presented a threat to the of the AFL-CIO by this move,  and the AFL-CIO can not let the challenge pass.

With the full weight with the AFL-CIO behind it, Chavez's small union may be able to survive. But pressure must continue on growers in the form of the nation-wide boycotts of lettuce, grapes and wine. While the Teamsters have done everything from refusing to unload UFW products from trucks to shooting picketers, the small union has maintained support from Chicano workers.

Local efforts to support the UFW, including picketing of A&P stores, are still continuing and still need your support. If you want more information on local boycott activities, contact the UFW support group at 763-0285.

Ellen Hoffman

portions reprinted from LNS