Cesar Chavez: the Change in Migrant Farmworker's Laws

This is Cesar Chavez essay where an author discussed the personality and his role for the society. Cesar Chavez was very successful in changing the conditions of the migrant farmworkers. Cesar grew up as a migrant farmworker that endured dangerous working conditions so helping them came naturally to him. The problems migrant farmworkers faced were poverty, unemployment, and the lack of basic human rights at their job. The article, ¨ Cesar Chavez¨ it states, ¨ Farm Workers were specifically excluded from the protection of National Labor Relations Act of 1935. Unlike other American workers or workers were not guaranteed the right to organize and no guarantee of a minimum wage and no federal guaranteed standards of work in the fields. State laws requiring toilets, rest periods, and drinking water in the fields were largely ignored¨. The workers had no basic rights and were working in illegal conditions. Not only did they work in poor conditions they were living in them too. They were very poor and because they were not guaranteed jobs they had a high rate of unemployment. In the article ¨Cesar Chavez¨ it says, ¨ Farm laborers suffered from high rates of illiteracy and poverty (Average family earnings were just 2,000 in 1965), they also experienced Persistently high rates of unemployment and were divided into a variety of ethnic group”.

Chavez helped the workers overcome their problems by creating organizations and having a non-violent protest. He first joined a community service organization but later on left because he wanted to focus more on the farmworkers working conditions and their human rights. When he left he founded the farmworkers' association to cater to just the farmworkers. In The article “Cesar Chavez” it says,” over the next two years, Chavez spent his entire lifetime Savings of 1,200 creating a small Social Service organization for Delano’s Field laborers which offered immigration counseling, citizenship classes, funeral benefits, credit to buy cars and homes, assistance with the Voter registration and a cooperative to buy tires and gasoline”. He also went on strikes and did non-violent protests to bring awareness to changes that were needed that he couldn’t do by himself. In the article “Background on Cesar Chavez” it says, “Chavez Battlefield grape growers for a better composition and improved working conditions. He organized a march on Sacramento in 1966 called for a national boycott of California table grapes in 1968, and went on a hunger strike in 1968, continuing the practice of nonviolent protest in 1970, the growers finally recognized the United Farm Workers Union and Signed labor contracts with the Union”.

The results of his strategies to fix all of the problems didn’t work right away but were the start of a big change for the farm industry. In the article “Cesar Chavez” says,” As a result of his efforts the most backbreaking tool used by farm workers, the short hoe, was eliminated and the use of many dangerous pesticides in the grape fields was prohibited. His laborers also bought about a 70% increase in real wages from 1964 to 1980 and established healthcare benefits, disability insurance, pension plans and standardized grievance procedures performed for workers”. He was able to remove tools and pesticides from the grape field. He wasn't able to change everything as fast as he would have liked but he most definitely had one of the biggest impacts on the farmworkers' conditions. In the article, “Background on Cesar Chavez”, it says,” This boycott pushed Chavez to another hunger strike which lasted 35 days. Although the second boy cat was unsuccessful, Chavez laid the foundation for a movement that ultimately would raise wages and improve working conditions for workers in California and other states with major agriculture industries”. 

Overall, he had the biggest impact on the migrant farmworker's laws and Is the reason they have gotten their rights like the American farmworkers.