This Day in History: 1965-09-08

Grape strike

begins against grape growers in California on this day in 1965. The strike and boycott, organized by the United Farm Workers, headed by Cesar Chavez (right), lasts more than five years. It was an important victory for the UFW, leading to a first contract with grape growers and highlighting working conditions for migrant farm workers. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times, “conditions on farms in California today still resemble those that existed before 1962.” Chavez did not translate national support into a stronger farm worker’s organization, according to author Matt Garcia. “For those who seek to learn from the past, his story offers lessons about the very nature of leadership.”