More from Dick Meister
The Plight Of The Pregnant Worker
(00:04:42)
From: Dick Meister
Despite the anti-discrimination laws, many pregnant workers are being legally fired for being pregnant.
Sit Down, Punk!
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From: Dick Meister
Labor leader Art Carter was an important but now largely forgotten hero of the anti-Vietnam War movement.
So, What About The State Of The Unions, Mr. President?
(00:04:43)
From: Dick Meister
Although President Obama said nothing about organized labor in his State of the Union address, he won labor plaudits for the pro-worker programs he proposed.
Labor's Honorary Lesbian
(00:04:13)
From: Dick Meister
San Francisco labor leader Walter Johnson was a key supporter of gay rights.
It's Do Or Die For The United Auto Workers
(00:04:26)
From: Dick Meister
The United Auto Workers is in danger of losing its standing as one of the country's most important institutions.
Student Athletes Deserve Pay For Their Play
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From: Dick Meister
So-called student athletes should be paid for their work in bringing billions of dollars to the nation's colleges and universities.
A Decent Living For All?
(00:06:25)
From: Dick Meister
The minimum wage is increasing in eight states.
Stamp Out Sexual Harrassment!
(00:02:53)
From: Dick Meister
The need to combat sexual harassment on the job is drawing lots of attention.
Unemployment Slamming Public Employees
(00:04:03)
From: Dick Meister
Public employees, many of them African-Americans, are being hit particularly hard by today's high levels of unemployment.
Six Ways To Heal The Economy
(00:03:25)
From: Dick Meister
The AFL-CIO has a very promising plan to heal our very sick economy.
Related Pieces
Piece Description
A commentary on ths year's celebration by the United Farm Workers union marking the 40th anniversary of the extraordinary grape strike led by Cesar Chavez that won worldwide support for California's long oppressed farmworkers -- and which remains a great inspiraiton and source of important lessons for those who are continuing the stuggle to bring economic justice to farmworkrers everywhere.
Broadcast History
None.
Transcript
The United Farm Workers union … the UFW … is celebrating the 40th anniversary of the extraordinary grape strike that won worldwide support for California’s farmworkers in their struggle for the basic rights that had long been denied them, and denied the millions of other farmworkers across the country.
The farmworkers’ struggle is far from over. But the grape strike led by Cesar Chavez remains a great inspiration … and a source of important lessons … for those who are fighting today’s battles … and who could not fight those battles without help from the allies who originally joined them in response to the grape strike and the grape boycott that stemmed from it.
The strike erupted in the fall of 1965 in the hot, dusty vineyards around the small valley town of Delano, California, and spread quickly to the state’s other vineyards, where most of the country’s grapes are grown. T...
Read the full transcript
Timing and Cues
Intro: Labor historian Dick Meister says farmworkers have a good reason to celebrate this year,
Outro: Dick Meister is the co-author of "A Long Time Coming: The Struggle to Unionize America's Farm Workers," published by Macmillan
Yolette Garcia
Posted on December 28, 2005 at 06:00 PM | Permalink
Review of Commentary: 40 Years Later, UFW's La Causa Lives
The UFW's struggle to win farm worker rights is an important piece of American labor history. Dick Meister gives more of a short history about La Causa, rather than his opinion on the significance of the movement and where it needs to go today. As acknowledged, this piece has not been broadcast nationally. Should it be, it would require some audio editing to eliminate some stumbles and some production values to make it move forward.