United Farm Workers marchers stop in Stockton on way to California capitol

The United Farm Workers march stopped at Constitution Park in Stockton, as part of the farm workers union’s 24-day, 335-mile march through 24 Central Valley cities to Sacramento in hopes of getting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature on farmworker union voting rights.

Civil rights leader Dolores Huerta, 92, was there to support those who marched the 17 miles from Manteca to Stockton Aug. 20 in the record-high 104-degree heat and more than 220 miles over the last 18 days. Huerta is a co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association, which merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to become the United Farm Workers in 1962. Huerta was greeted with roaring “si se puede” chants from a crowd of about 300.

“Marches before were in April, not in August,” Huerta joked on the sweltering heat. “You all have made me so proud … you were walking through the fields where the workers were working in this hot sun … there’s no more essential workers than the farm workers who have been out there every single day picking the food to put on our tables.”

AB2183, the Agricultural Labor Relations Voting Choice Act, authored by Assemblymember Mark Stone, D-Santa Cruz, would allow farm workers to vote to unionize free from intimidation by growers and labor contractors.

Andrés Chavez, 28, grandson of civil rights activist Cesar Chavez — another co-founder of the National Farmworkers Association — has made the march with UFW.

“It was hot. Today was brutal. But when you show up to turn out like this, it’s all worth it,” Chavez said. “It shows that people care about this bill … name another piece of legislation that turns out this many people on a Saturday to a park to support something.”

Chavez said the turnout also shows that people know the bill is a fair deal.

“We’re not asking for anything special. We’re asking to be treated just like other workers who have the opportunity to vote free of intimidation, free of coercion, free of abuse,” Chavez said. “Whenever workers look to unionize, growers and labor contractors will do everything in their power fire people at times, sometimes even threatening deportation, all because they don’t want to sign a union contract.”

Several Stockton organizers and activists also attended to show their support. Organizer Jasmine Dellafosse told The Record she hopes to get as many Stocktonians as she can out to Sacramento to support the United Farm Workers.

“(The turnout in Stockton) is so beautiful,” Dellafosse said. “There’s so much history here in Stockton with farmworkers and labor — it's beautiful to see the collaboration. If you look in this audience, it’s very intergenerational. You have elders and you have babies — the legacy of organizing, labor and farmworkers is very rich here.”

The marchers were scheduled to trek to Lodi on Aug. 21 and over the next few days to Galt, Walnut Grove, Elk Grove and South Sacramento before completing their march to the state capitol in Sacramento Aug. 26.

Record reporter Ben Irwin covers Stockton and San Joaquin County government. He can be reached at birwin@recordnet.com or on Twitter @B1rwin. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow. 

This article originally appeared on The Record: United Farm Workers marchers stop in Stockton in 104-degree heat