The Mexican American Experience, a radio program produced by the Longhorn Radio Network, includes interviews, music, and informational programs related to the Mexican American community and their concerns. Program summary: Host Richard Goodman discusses the first major attempt to unionize the DiGiorgio Corporation in California. Goodman discusses the first major attempt by Mexican American farm workers to unionize at the DiGiorgio Corporation in California. In 1947, workers at the DiGiorgio farm picketed for better wages, grievance procedures, seniority rights and the recognition of their union Local 218 a branch of the National Farm workers Union (NFWU). Joseph DiGiorgio, the company's founder, refused their requests and launched a crusade to ruin the union. The union responded with work stoppages and a national boycott. However, Local 218, which counted Filipino, Anglo and Mexican members, lacked the funds to support such lengthy actions. Moreover, DiGiorgio was a substantial threat—he sent the police to attack the picketers, hired strikebreakers and spread rumors about the union. When these tactics failed, DiGorgio found other ways to attack the union and its supporters, which included the Hollywood Film Council. In 1959, his company produced a report denouncing the union. Congressmen Richard Nixon, Thruston Morton, and Tom Steed signed and filed it in the Congressional Record, which lent the report an aura of authority. The report effectively ended the strike and ruined the NFWU. This episode slowed organizing among Mexican-Americans, but the struggle continues on. Keywords: 1952 Melon Picker's strike, AFL-CIO, Agricultural Labor, Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee, Alfred Elliot, American Federation of Labor, Anglos, Arvin, California, Bakersfield, California, Bob Whately, Bob Whately, Bracero Program, California, California Federation of Labor, California State Senate Committee on Un-American Activities, Cleveland Bailey, Communism, Congressional Immunity, Congressional Record, DiGiorgio Farms, DiGiorgio Fruit Corporation, Ernesto Galarza, Farm Workers, Filipinos, H.L. Mitchell, Henry Hasiwar, Hollywood Film Council, Hugh M. Burns, Jack Tenney, Kern County, Libel, Local 218, Los Angeles Examiner, Los Angeles Media, Mexicans, National boycott, National Farm Labor union, National farm workers union NFWU, NFWU, Picketers, Poverty in the Land of Plenty, Richard Nixon, San Joaquin Valley, Spiders in the house and workers in the field, State Farm Placement Service, Strike, Thomas Werdell, Thruston Morton, Tom Steed, Union, Unionization, Wetbacks, Work Stoppage. Broadcast date: 1977-01-28. An ethnic slur is used in this program around 1:20 and 3:38.
Creator/Contributor:
Longhorn Radio Network (creator) and Goodman, Richard (host)
Date Created/Date Issued:
1/28/1977
Owning Repository:
Benson Latin American Collection, LLILAS Benson Latin American Studies and Collections, The University of Texas at Austin
sound recordings, grabaciones sonoras, radio programs, programas de radio, and Audio
Extent:
14 minutes, 36 seconds
Rights - Use and Reproduction:
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Language:
English
Place of Publication:
Austin (Tex.)
Topic:
Agricultural laborers--Labor unions, Trabajadores agrícolas--Sindicatos, Strikes and lockouts--Agricultural laborers, and Mexican American agricultural laborers
Time Period Covered:
1940-1949 and 1950-1959
Place Name:
Bakersfield (Calif.), Arvin (Calif.), and San Joaquin Valley (Calif.)
Geographic Coverage:
United States (country), California (state), United States (country), California (state), United States (country), and California (state)