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Page 1: Mar ing Against GraPe ~esticides · chickens are coming home to roost and the time to account for past sins is approaching. Dolores Huerta, UFW first vice-president (center, behind

Mar ing AgainstGraPe ~esticides

Page 2: Mar ing Against GraPe ~esticides · chickens are coming home to roost and the time to account for past sins is approaching. Dolores Huerta, UFW first vice-president (center, behind

EDITORIAL PESTICIDES

No p,otection "f,om the poisons which th,eaten ou, lives and the livesof ou, child,en. "

,65 Delano Strike ObservedFarm Workers Protest Pesticide Peril

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pesticide poisoning is one of threemajor farm worker demands (see edi­torial, page 2) in the current UnitedFarm Workers-sponsored boycott ofC<;llifornia fresh grapes (except the3% of grapes produced under UFWcontract).

Chavez, whose address drewloud applause from a large crowdgathered in Delano's Memorial Park,said consumers can protect themselvesand the estimated 300,000 U.S. farmworkers poisoned each year by notbuying grapes.

"We will go to the Americanpeople and tell them the truth," Chavezsaid. "Farm workers are being poi­soned in the fields and your food isbeing poisoned. Join us in our struggleagainst law-breaking growers whosereckless use of pesticides threatensyou and us!"

Farm labor leaders Cesar Chavezand Dolores Huerta led thousands offarm workers marching to Delano onthe weekend of Sept. 7-8 to com­memorate a landmark grape strikeand protest the pesticide poisoning ofworkers and consumers.

To dramatize the poison peril,marchers walked in silence and carriedblack flags emblazoned with humanskulls.

Farm workers and supportersconverged on Delano from the nearbyfarm communities of Richgrove,McFarland, and Earlimart for a rallythat commemorated the 20th anniver­sary of the Great Delano Grape Strike,which began on Sept. 8, 1965. Onthat date grape workers walked out ofDelano vineyards to begin a successfulstrike-boycott that lasted five years.

The call for protection against

National Executive Board:

President:Cesar ChavezSecretary-Treasurer:Peter VelascoFirst Viee-President:Dolores HuertaSecond Vice-President:Frank OrtizThird Vice-President:David MartinezMembers:Arturo RodriguezArturo MendozaOscar MondragonSen Maddock

Editorial B08rd

Cesar Chavez, EditorDavid Martinez. Associate EditorFrank OrtizArturo RodriguezArturo MendozaOscar MondragonSen MaddockRoberto de la CruzBarbara Macri

Writer:Fr. Ken Irr9an9Phot09rapher:Victor AlemanProduction Director:Paul Chavez

®~11

Food and Justice (USPS publi­cation number pending) ispublished monthly for $ 5 peryear by the United Ferm Workersof America. AFL-CIO. Old High­w~ 58. La Paz. California 93570.Application to mail at second­class postage rates is pendingat Keene. California.POSTMASTER: Send addresschanges to:Food and JusticeLa Paz. CA 93570

Volume 2, Number 5

FOOD AND JUSTICE

October 1985

Magazine of the United FarmWorkers of America. AFL-CIOLa Paz. Keene. CA 93570

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In the late 1960s and 70s farm workers boy­cotted fresh grapes because there was no law inCalifornia to protect their rights. The boycott wassuccessful and resulted in a good farm labor lawwhich was passed in 1975.

Ten years later we are boycotting Californiafresh grapes* again. This time it's because that lawis not being enforced by self-proclaimed "law andorder" Republican Gov. George Deukmejian. Oncemore, farm workers have no legal protections.

We discovered years ago that most growershave a pocketbook morality. They do not reactto just arguments. They respond to their farmworkers' grievances only when they see theirsales threatened.

Farm workers are asking growers for a fairmarketing agreement: we will not interfere withthe sale of fresh grapes if they agree to free andfair elections without threats or firings of workerswho support the UFW; good faith negotiationswith farm workers as equals across the bargainingtable, not as peons in the fields; and protectionfrom pesticide poisoning for both farm workersand consumers.

These are not outrageous demands. Theyare, for the most part, protections already con­tained in existing state law...protections which arenot enforced. Until these demands are met, wewill boycott California fresh grapes*.Y"except the 3% of grapes produced under UFW contract

Page 3: Mar ing Against GraPe ~esticides · chickens are coming home to roost and the time to account for past sins is approaching. Dolores Huerta, UFW first vice-president (center, behind

Cesar Chavez: "Corporate Browers and chemica'doesn't exist. " producers act as If the pesticide menace

Excerpts from Chavez' Delanospeech follow:

"On this day 20 years ago, long­suffering men and women in vineyardssurrounding Delano struck out against100 years of humiliation and oppres­sion. We fired a mighty blow againstthe richest and most powerful in­dustry in California.

"Our strike was not brutallycrushed -- as dozens of other organiz­ing efforts were crushed in past years-- because of the grape workers' secretweapon: the boycott! We dramaticallytransformed the simple act of refusingto buy grapes into a powerful state­ment against poverty and injustice.

"The grape boycott became arallying cry for millions of Americanswho never worked on a farm. Duringthe 1960s and 70s, millions of people-- 17 million according to one nation­wide poll -- rallied to the cause of thegrape workers in Delano.

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"We let the people know aboutthe daily abuses grape workers suf­fered. And we also let people knowabout what pesticides did to farmworkers and their families.

"A Mockery of the Law"

"That grape boycott forcedgrowers to accept a law which wassupposed to guarantee farm workersthe same rights as workers in otherindustries: the right to vote with asecret ballot and the right to negotiatefor our needs with growers as equalsacross the bargaining table and not aspeons in the fields.

"But 20 years after the first grapestruggle began and 10 years after thelaw was passed, growers -- throughGov. Deukmejian -- have made amockery of the law. The law has stop­ped working!

"Our charges against growerswho break the law are not investi-

gated; there has been a massive cutin the money for enforcement of thelaw; state employees who try toenforce the law are penalized for beingdisloyal to the governor; farm workerscan't get millions of dollars in back paythey are owed from growers convictedof violating the law; and Gov. Deuk­mejian's appointees settle cases -­where the courts have orde·red growersto pay back workers -- for as little as10e on the dollar.

"So what have farm workersreally won 20 years after we beganstruggling in the grapes and 10 yearsafter the law was enacted?

"Right here in Delano a babywas born with no arms and no legsbecause of the pesticides his motherwas exposed to when she worked inthe grapes.

"Last August 5 in San DiegoCounty a young farm worker, thefather of four young children, died inthe field where he was working -- a

field sprayed only a few hours beforewith a highly dangerous pesticide.

"And every year thousands offarm workers in California who don'tdie right away from pesticides -- orwhose children aren't born deformed-- suffer from pesticide poisoning: skinrashes, burning throats, eye irritation,difficulty in breathing, and othersymptoms.

Grower Sins"The growers often try to blame

the union for their problems; they tryto lay their sins on us -- sins for whichthe growers have only themselvesto blame.

"The growers have only them­selves to blam-e as they begin to reapthe harvest of decades of abuse anddamage they have brought upon theland: the pesticides, the soil fumi­gants, the fertilizers, the salt depositsfrom thoughtless irrigation -- the rava­ges of years of unrestrained poisoning

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Page 4: Mar ing Against GraPe ~esticides · chickens are coming home to roost and the time to account for past sins is approaching. Dolores Huerta, UFW first vice-president (center, behind

of our soil and water."These are the sins of growers,

not farm workers. We didn't poisonthe land; we didn't contaminate thewater; we didn't sow the seeds oftragedy which are poisoning farmworkers and mutilating their children.

"There is something more impor­tant to the UFW than winning betterwages and working conditions. Andthat is protecting farm workers -- andconsumers -- from systematic poison­ing through the reckless use of agri­cultural poisons.

"Gov. Deukmejian didn't just des­troy the farm workers' hopes for afairer share of what they produce withtheir labor. He also shattered theirhopes for meaningful protection fromthe poisons which threaten our livesand the lives of our children.

"Corporate growers and chemicalproducers act as if the pesticide

menace doesn't exist. They glory intheir complacency. Just last weekagribusiness killed a bill in the StateAssembly which would have simplyrequired growers to place signs in theirfields warning that they have beensprayed with dangerous pesticidesThe growers argued that paying for thecosts of the signs was more than theycan afford. (The bill was later passedby the legislature but vetoed by Gov.Deukmejian at the request of wealthyagribusiness interests.)

"But the growers may soon paymore dearly for their sins than theyever imagined! Today the growers arelike a punch-drunk old boxer whodoesn't know he's past his prime. Thetimes are changing. The political andsocial environment has changed. Thechickens are coming home to roostand the time to account for past sinsis approaching.

Dolores Huerta, UFW first vice-president (center, behind her childrenRicardo and Maria), leads one of three marches to Delano on the 20thanniversary of the 7965 Grape Strike.

"Declaring war on the pesticide poisoning of farm workers, consumers,and the nation's food supply."

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"Declaring War"

"On the 20th anniversary of theDelano Grape Stirke, we are declaringwar on the pesticide poisoning of farmworkers, consumers, and the nation'sfood supply. Two decades ago the firstgrape boycott fought for human dig­nity and basic economic rights. Todaythe grape boycott fights to protectfarm workers and their children frompesticide poisoning.

"We will achieve victory in thisnew battle by forging a noble nation­wide alliance of farm workers and con­sumers. We will go to the Americanpeople and tell them the truth: 'Yourfood is being poisoned!'

"The message of the new grapeboycott is that consumers can protectthemselves by boycotting grapes. Andthat boycott will force growers to bar­gain in good faith for contracts whichprotect us from the fearful perils ofpesticide.

"This war on pesticides will be areality in deed as well as pronounce­ment. We have already mailed hun­dreds of thousands of letters to con­sumers in New York City asking themto boycott grapes because of thepoison threat. Pesticides will nowbecome the focus of grape boycottactivities throughout North America.

"There is really no choice to bemade. There is no decision to debate.There is nothing more important to usthan our health and the lives of ourchildren. And there is nothing moreimportant that we share in commonwith the consumers of America thanthe safety of the nation's food supplywhich we both depend upon.

"With this weapon in our nonvio­lent arsenal -- and with the unboundedsupport our cause continues to enjoyfrom the American people -- we shallwin in the end!" Y

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Page 5: Mar ing Against GraPe ~esticides · chickens are coming home to roost and the time to account for past sins is approaching. Dolores Huerta, UFW first vice-president (center, behind

PESTICIDES

Some of the bodies of the more than 2,000 killed bya poisonous gas leak at the Union Carbide pesticidefactory in Bhopal, India last year.

Union Carbide PushesAldicarb Use on Grapes

mission to sell aldicarb to Californiagrape growers, is apparently bankingon the belief that they are just as eageras watermelon producers to use anyinsecticide that will make their grapesbigger and juicier.

That effort shows little apparentconcern for consumers. Kern Countymelon growers showed the same in­sensitivity after state officials haltedwatermelon sales earlier this year."We've got 45 million potential cus­tom.ers for our crops," said melongrower-shipper Albert Icardo. "About200 people got sick. What percentageis that?"

Another grower talking with Icardoexpressed similiar callousness: "It (aldi­carb) is not deadly. If it had killedsomebody, of course you'd have toshut it down. But nobody died."

So far."

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eaten raw. Aldicarb is made only ingranules which are incorporated intothe soil and then taken up by the rootsand distributed through the plant to killattacking insects. That explains why,as one state official stated, the pesti­cide remains in the fruit and why rawfruit is more likely to poison consumersthan produce that is processed orcooked before it is placed on thedinner table.

Lawrie Mott, biochemist at theSan Francisco office of the NaturalResources Defense Council, recentlywrote: "Consumers have to recognizethat the price they pay for cosmeticallyperfect fruits and vegetables is liberaldoses of pesticide. Why did the water­melon growers use aldicarb? Perhapsonly because it makes melons biggerand juicier?"Union Carbide, in asking for per-

Farm workers march past vineyards and drying grapes to protest lack ofprotection from pesticides.

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The same insecticide, sold underthe brand name Timek, was respon­sible for poisoning hundreds of con­sumers in the western U.S. and Canadalast July when they ate aldicarb-conta­rninated watermelons.

Now Union Carbide has askedCalifornia for permission to expand theuse of aldicarb to grapes.

':Just what grape workers andconsumers need - more pesticides ongrapes," said Dr. Marion Moses, direc­tor of the Farm Workers' Californiaclinics and a leading specialist onenvironmental disease.

Presently aldicarb is registered foruse on potatoes, beets, beans, andcotton -- but not on grapes and water­melons. And for good reason.

Grapes, like watermelons, are

Union Carbide doesn't know whento quit. It's attempting to get the insecti­cide aldicarb - of watermelon poisoningnotoriety last July -- approved for useon California grapes.

The international chemical corpo­ration was responsible for the world'sworst industrial accident late last yearwhen more than 2,000 people diedand thousands more were injured nearits pesticide plant in Bhopal, India.

A similar leak of a poisonous gasearlier this year threatened the lives ofthousands of residents in Institute,West Virginia, who live near a UnionCarbide chemical plant there.

Union Carbide's most toxic insec­ticide, aldicarb, has contaminated wellwater from Smith River, California toLong Island, New York.

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Page 6: Mar ing Against GraPe ~esticides · chickens are coming home to roost and the time to account for past sins is approaching. Dolores Huerta, UFW first vice-president (center, behind

ISSUES ISSUES

IIFree and Fair" Elections

DEUKMEJIANAPPOINTEE HITSFARM BOARDIM PARTIALITY"Can any faiNnllKlflll penon...honestly beIiewI thIIt the UFW hasa snowball'. chance in hell ofgettinga fai' hearing before the ALRSr

Recent personal attacks on CesarChavez and lobbying against the grapeboycott have destroyed even the appear­ance of impartiality by David Stirling,Gov. Deukmejian's appointee as gen­eral counsel of the Agricultural LaborRelations Board.

In September, Stirling bitterlydenounced Chavez for repeating theUFW's longstanding accusation thatgrowers use dangerous pesticideson grapes. Commenting on Stirling'sattack, Los Angeles Times labor writerHarry Bernstein wrote:

"This time, Stirling is not respon­ding to an attack on the fairness orcompetency of his administration ofthe farm labor law. By denouncingChavez's complaints about the dangers

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of pesticide contamination as 'utterlycontemptible...vicious... (and) callouslydistorted; Stirling may have made hisadministration of the farm labor lawmore difficult than ever."

Jerome Waldie, a member of thefive-person ALRB, said Stirling has now"poisoned his capacity to fairly judgecharges brought to him by the unionon behalf of workers." Waldie saidStirling's denunciation of Chavez on anissue unrelated to the ALRB made"ludicrous" the claim that he is simplyobeying Gov. Deukmejian's commandto make the board more balanced.

On October 3, Stirling travelled toWashington, DC at taxpayer expenseto lobby United Methodist Churchofficials against endorsing the newgra pe boycott.

Methodist Bishop Leontine Kelly,who witnessed Stirling's Washingtonactivities, said: "How can (Stirling)expect anyone to believe he is a neutraland objective prosecutor of the lawafter this exhibition of bias and lack ofprofessional integrity?"

The Times reported that "the furyof (Stirling's) latest attacks on the unionand Chavez will surely raise new ques­tions about the credibility of Stirling'srole as a neutral party in disputes bet­ween the union and growers."

An editorial in The WatsonvilleRegister Pajaronian put it more­bluntly: "Can any fair-minded personread (Stirling's attack on Chavez) andhonestly believe that the UFW has asnowball's chance in hell of getting afair hearing before the ALRB?

"No. We fear that by his unpropi­tious shooting from the hip, Mr. Stirlinghas damaged, perhaps beyond repair,his credibility, and has raised seriousdoubts about whether his tenureshould continue."

A sordid saga at the M. CaratanInc. grape ranch near Delano is a goodexample of why free and fair electionsare a priority of the new fresh grapeboycott (see editorial, page 2).

In the 1970s, the UFW won anelection at Caratan vineyards. A grower­sponsored drive to decertify or removethe UFW was later turned back.

Caratan faced certain defeat atanother decertification election set forJune 15, 1979.

Toward the end of the 5-7 a.m.voting period that morning LuisCaratan, company vice-president, sentcompany agents "Tattoo" Torrez and"Toothless" Caraballo (with a pistol inhis waistband) by car to the voting sitewhile FBrmln Martinez, a Caratan fore­man, transported a rowdy crew of 30to 40 pro-company workers by bus.

At the voting site, some of thecrew milled around the ballot boxpushing, shoving and shaking thei~fists at the six state ALRBagents anddemanding that the ballots be countedimmediately. Suddenly one workerthrew several quick punches at a boardagent guarding the ballot box. Anotheragent grabbed the box and wassmashed in the throat. The ballot-boxtable was overturned and the votingbooths knocked over.

A worker hit one of the agentsover the head with a chair while twoother agents seized the ballot box andbent over it on the floor to keep it frombeing stolen. Other Caratan supportersattacked them, one with a shockabsorber and another with a four-foot­long metal pipe.

As the agents tried to defendthemselves, a pro-company workergrabbed the ballot box and passed the

ballots out to the crew. At that point,Foreman Martinez yelled, "Okay, boys,you did it -- let's go!"

With that, the pro-company wor­kers ran to the bus, yelling andshouting. Martinez drove off, his clen­ched fist raised in triumph. With himwent some of the ballots, while"Tattoo" Torres and "Toothless" Cara­ballo drove away with the rest. Theballots were never seen again.

An ALRB judge ruled in 1980 thatCaratan was responsible for both thedecertification drive and the ballotingviolence. Caratan's appeals of theguilty verdict were finally rejected bythe State Supreme Court in 1984. Butworkers at Caratan still have no con­tract. Illegally fired workers have notbeen reinstated and no repayment oflost wages has been made. y

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Page 7: Mar ing Against GraPe ~esticides · chickens are coming home to roost and the time to account for past sins is approaching. Dolores Huerta, UFW first vice-president (center, behind

The UFW's Arturo Rodriguez reports many more endorsements for thegrape boycott since the first list of endorsers was last published.

NEW POLL GOOD NEWSFOR GRAPE BOYCOTT

PESTICIDES

The organophosphates kill insectsand humans by the same mechanism.They inhibit an enzyme called choli­nesterase, which is very important forproper functioning of the nervoussystem. They are readily and rapidlyabsorbed through the skin and for thisreason are among the most dangerouschemicals to which farm workers areexposed.

While many deaths and seriouspoisonings have occurred among appli­cators, workers whose only contactwith these pesticides is from residueson crops they are picking are also athigh risk of poisoning. There havebeen approximately 1,000 reportedcases of reentry or residue illnessamong field workers in California from1949 to 1983. About 75% were dueto parathion or Phosdrin.

Parathion is especially dangeroussince it breaks down to a compoundthat is even more toxic: paraoxon.Paraoxon can be formed on leaf sur­faces under certain atmospheric condi­tions. Parathion and paraoxon are alsovery unpredictable in their decay anddegradation, especially if used with.other pesticides.. For this reason, wor­kers have continued to be poisonedwith this pesticide even when the legalreentry time has been observed.

Phosdrin can be rapidly fatal andworkers who suffer reentry poisoningfrom this chemical become ill within20 minutes to an hour after exposureto its residues on crops.

On October 10, 1985 a crew of 45lettuce harvesters in Monterey Countywere poisoned with Phosdrin that haddrifted from almost a mile away wherea broccoli field had been sprayed withthe deadly pesticide. The workers suf­fered nausea, vomiting, headaches,and weakness, and were taken to alocal hospital emergency room.

0,. Ma,ion Mos.s

Some years ago, a farm worker inFresno county picking peaches sprayedwith parathion six weeks earlier washospitalized with pesticide poisoningand died seven days later. Ninety-threeother workers in the same crewbecame seriously ill in what was oneof the biggest and most severe poison­ings of field harvesters in California.

Parathion, the pesticide respon­sible for that worker's death, is amember of a highly toxic class of com­pounds called organophosphates. Theirinsecticidal properties were discoveredby German scientists doing researchon nerve gas during World War II.

Parathion and another highly toxicorganophosphate, Phosdrin, have to­gether been responsible for the greatmajority of deaths and serious pOison­ings from pesticides among farm wor­kers in California.

Parathion &PhosdrinDr. Marion Moses'UDeadly Dozen"Pesticide Series

Lansing, Michigan Mayor Terry McKaneLeadership Conference of Women ReligiousM.E.C.H.A. Sacramento State UniversityMigrant Ministry Committee, North Carolina

Council of ChurchesNational Organization of Women, Durham,

North CarolinaOil, Chemical and Atomic Workers, Local 1-5,

Martinez, CaliforniaOil, Chemical and Atomic Workers, Local

1-895, Oxnard, CaliforniaBishop Ricardo Ramirez, Catholic Diocese

of Las Cruces, New MexicoBishop Placido Rodriguez, CMF, Catholic

Archdiocese of ChicagoRural Advancement Fund/National

Sharecroppers FundSan Antonio Mayor Henry CisnerosSanta Cruz Mayor Mardi Wormhoudt and

Santa Cruz City CouncilSisters of Charity, Executive Council, New YorkToronto Mayor Art Eggelton and Toronto

City CouncilTravis County (Texas) CommissionersTriangle Friends of the Farm Workers,

North CarolinaWar Resisters League, Southeast RegionRep. Henry Waxman, CaliforniaWisconsin Student Association, MadisonWomen's International League for Peace

and Freedom, Durham

of him compared to 33% unfavorableEven 33% of Republicans polled havea favorable opinion of the UFWoresident.. Other signs of success are de­creases in the price of grapes. Grapesat 39¢ a pound are common. "Specials"in some areas are as low as 29¢ and19¢ a pound. The California Table GrapeCommission acknowledged that coldstorage facilities are bulging withunsold grapes.

A. Philip Randolph InstituteAFSCME, Local 971, Boulder, MontanaAhavat ShalomAmerican Postal Workers Union,

Washington, D.C.Arlington Street Church, Social Action

Committee, BostonAssemblyman Richard Alatorre, Northeast

Los AngelesAustin City CouncilBerkeley Mayor Eugene "Gus" Newport

and the Berkeley City CouncilChicago Mayor Harold Washington and the

Chicago City CouncilBrothers for Christian Community, MarylandCatholic Worker Community, Los AngelesCentral Labor Council, Durham,

North CarolinaChurch Women United, IllinoisCoalition for Economic SurvivalDurham, North Carolina Voters AllianceRep. Don Edwards, CaliforniaFlint, Michigan Mayor James A. Sharp, Jr.

and City CouncilGAIU, Local 3B, San FranciscoBishop Thomas J. Gumbleton, Center City

Region, Archdiocese of DetroitBishop Joseph Imesch, Diocese of Joliet,

IllinoisIUE (International), Washington, D.C.IUE, Local 981, Grand Rapids, MichiganJewish Community Relations Council, Boston

BOYCOTT

Results of Mervyn Field's respec­ted California Poll reveal that 42% ofthe public support the new grape boy­cott, 40% are opposed, and 18% haveno opinion.

"Boycotts work when they enjoy5% support; they're devastating at10%;' said Arturo Rodriguez, generalmanager of the grape boycott.

The poll also showed that CesarChavez is recognized by 85% of thepeople; 52% have a favorable opinion

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HOPING...

Sincerely,

Name__.,..,..,.,--_..,...."... --,,-_(please print)

Address _

City/State/Zip _

-except the 3% of grapes produced under UFW contract

15

Farm worker childrendon't know anything aboutlabor laws, governors, grow­ers, intimidation, unfair elec­tions -- or a father fired forwanting the UFW to help himprotect them.

But like all children, theyknow what to hope for: niceclothes to dress up in, some­thing good to eat when theyare hungry, a house withbeds and a toilet, and a lotof neighbor kids to play with.

Here's how you can help them realize their hopes:• Don't buy or eat California fresh grapes* unless they

are clearly labeled with the UFW eagle.• Urge your organization to endorse the boycott and

send the UFW a copy of the endorsement.• Send a mailing list of the members of your organization.

We want to contact the millions of good people whohave supported our boycotts in the past.

Please tear off and return to:

------------~~~---------------------,Cesar Chavez, La Paz, CA 93570 I

Dear Cesar Chavez: :D I pledge to boycott California fresh grapes that do not carry the I

eagle emblem. ID Enclosed is a copy of my group's endorsement of the fresh grape boycott ID Enclosed are the addresses of members of groups who I know will

join the fresh grape boycott if they are contacted.

He died the next morning despitemedical care. The employer's permit touse Phosdrin had expired and twicethe amount of the pesticide specifiedon the label was in the container.

A 31-year-old farm worker wasfound dead in a field. He had mixedparathion spray that morning and hadapplied it most of the day. He wasworking alone, and about midafter­noon was found stretched over his rigstill wearing his respirator.

A 28-year-old worker was workingalone at night spraying parathion andPhosdrin. He poured the Phosdrinmanually. According to evidence foundlater, he drove a quarter of a mile,tumbled out of the truck, and landedin a ditch. He was found dead by hisemployer the next morning.

A 28-year-old farm worker sprayedpeach trees with parathion all day. Thenext day he sprayed for three and one­half hours and then became acutely ilJand was hospitalized with parathionpoisoning. He died seven days later ofcomplicating bronchopneumoniay

Growers should place signs in their fields warning that they halle beensprayed with dangerous pesticides.

Most pesticide reentry poisoning,however, goes unrecognized and unre­ported. Doctors do not know or refuseto consider that a farm worker's illnessmight be pesticide related. Workersdeny illness because they need towork or because they justifiably fearthey will lose their jobs if they complainor ask for medical care. And we do notknow what the long-term effects ofchronic low-level poisoning are inthe workers.

It has been adequately demon­strated that parathion and Phosdrin aretoo poisonous to be used safely inagriculture. There is no justifiablereason to keep these two members ofthe "Deadly Dozen" in use when theyput workers under such risk of acuteillness, death, or possible chronic long­term effects on their health. Safer alter­natives are available for both chemicals.

Farm Worker DeathsA 16-year-old boy worked for a

day applying Phosdrin to 12 acres ofstrawberries. He became nauseated,vomited, and had difficulty breathing.

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