Monday, November 30, 2009

Cesar Chavez Mural



Jesus Salsa was the founder of Obreros Unidos an independent farm labor union established in Wisconsin in 1966 and supported by funding from the AFL-CIO. Jesus Salas also worked for the United Farm Workers (UFW) and Cesar Chavez on the UFW Grape Boycott. A native of Crystal City Texas and former migrant worker, Salas served as coordinator and board member of United Migrant Opportunity Services (UMOS).

Obreros Unidos engaged in its first labor action by seeking to organize migrant potato harvest and processing workers in the town of Almond, WI. and received support from the AFL-CIO, Cesar Chavez, and other labor unions.

The union published "La Voz Mexicana" which provided Mexican-American farm workers in Wisconsin with information on minimum wage, worker's compensation, child labor, and health provisions for migatory farm workers.

The union only lasted 6 years, but many of its organizers went on to work for the United Farm Workers grape boycott and other Mexican-American organizations in Wisconsin.

No comments:

Post a Comment