They formed the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee (UFWOC), with Cesar Chavez as the president. The two organizations came together in 1965 for a strike of grape growers in Delano, California. ![]() ![]() ![]() In 1962, two organizations, The Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee (AWOC), composed mainly of Filipinos, and the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), composed mainly of Mexicans, formed in separate locations in rural California. Scholar and activist Ernesto Galarza worked on strikes in the Imperial and San Joaquin Valleys of California but struggled to overcome differences in strategy among organizers. In 1956, the National Farm Labor Union, renamed the National Agricultural Workers Union (NAWU), made an attempt to organize farm workers. The union developed after years of struggle and failed attempts to create a permanent union for farm workers. The formation of the United Farm Workers (UFW) in 1965, under the leadership of Cesar Chavez, redefined farm labor activism and contributed to a new era of social justice movements in the United States. Although Chavez and the UFW ultimately failed to establish a permanent, national union, their successes and strategies continue to influence movements for farm worker justice today. During the 1970s, Chavez struggled to maintain the momentum created by the boycott as the state of California became more involved in adjudicating labor disputes under the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act (ALRA). ![]() For a time, the UFW was the realization of Martin Luther King Jr.’s beloved community-people from different backgrounds coming together to create a socially just world. Chavez welcomed contributions from numerous ethnic and racial groups, men and women, young and old. Led by Cesar Chavez, the union contributed a number of innovations to the art of social protest, including the most successful consumer boycott in the history of the United States. In September 1962, the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) held its first convention in Fresno, California, initiating a multiracial movement that would result in the creation of United Farm Workers (UFW) and the first contracts for farm workers in the state of California.
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