By Mark Friedman, member, International Association of Machinists #1484
Delano, CA― Five thousand unionists representing 50 unions and organizations marched three miles under the slogan of “Con Estas Manos/With These Hands” in the birthplace of the United Farmworkers Union. to exemplify work in all areas of society― from agriculture to service industries and health care. of these essential workers.
The march and rally represented the united labor response to Washington’s attacks on immigrant workers and free speech.
The action commemorated UFW founder Cesar Chavez and called for the defense of immigrant workers against Immigration, Customs, and Enforcement raids and labor solidarity regardless of color or national origin. Four hundred thousand farmworkers live and work in California alone. Most lack “legal” status and are undocumented immigrants.
The multi-generational crowd carried banners from scores of unions, and hundreds of red UFW flags were waved to the bilingual delivered speeches. The rally was chaired by California AFL-CIO president Lorena Gonzalez, who also comes from a family of immigrant workers.
UFW leader Carolina Sanchez opened the speakers’ list by describing the day’s march today in commemoration of earlier Delano marches that founded the United Farm Workers. She described a recent three-day strike for a contract containing clauses for fewer hours at higher pay and no forced weekend work.
Another UFW leader Alejandro explained, “Our work is hard but with the union, we have won more rights with the union; we have a voice. We need the unions now more than ever in these times.”
The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) had the largest delegation of over 1,000 workers from San Diego to Sacramento and San Francisco representing all service areas: hospitals, home care, daycare, and healthcare. The march also drew several hundred participants from Los Angeles, organized into buses by the LA Federation of Labor.
David Huerta, SEIU Local 1000 president told the crowd “We have political power; we have economic power. It is in our hands and we need to fight for our country; all workers without any difference in country of origin.
“When any worker is afraid of deportation, it pushes down wages and working conditions for all workers. We reject the Trump administration’s campaign of terror, hate, and division — and we will (defend) every worker in America, whether against a boss who seeks to exploit them, or a President who seeks to deport them,” Romero said in a statement. “Farm workers feed America — and we will claim our rightful share of the bounty our hands harvest.”
Natasha Williams, Kaiser Permanente healthcare worker and SEIU activist discussed the need for the 110,000 healthcare workers in California, “To stand in solidarity with immigrant brothers and sisters. Nationally, millions of immigrants are healthcare workers and we will not stand by when ice raids hospitals and clinics.”
Airport worker Nestor Tope from San Francisco called on the crowd to carry on, “With the tradition of immigrant workers’ solidarity of Mexicans, Filipinos, indigenous people. Trump is attacking not only immigrant workers but all workers, so our answer has to be to organize. When we fight, we win!
Several industrial, construction, and building trades unions were in attendance including the United Auto Workers, International Association of Machinists, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers, and Allied Workers as well as teachers’ unions.
Rodrigo Flores representing the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, IBEW who works at a hydroelectric plant whose father worked in the fields told the crowd, “At the end of the day we are all workers it is not right to bash immigrants who are doing the hardest jobs.”
A delegation of nurses from the California Nurses Association, representing 184,000 California nurses was represented by Sandy Redding a working nurse in Bakersfield who told the crowd “Our nurses will protect our patients if you are ice or a cop don’t get between the nurse and her patient.”
United Domestic Workers was formed as part of the organizing efforts of the United Farm Workers and represents home and child care workers “We live in fear of ICE we are locked into detention centers where you disappear; no one should be illegal in this land that was stolen from Indigenous peoples. Fear will not break us; we will rise for human rights.”
A contingent of Justice for Janitors also participated with leader Teresa Barrios saying, “We come for dignity and respect not only survival. We must unite and march shoulder to shoulder to defend each other in the battles against the big companies, like Google, that recently offered us an insulting $0.25 an hour pay increase.”
Gloria Arrieta from the Pilipino Workers Center, tells this reporter of the importance of supporting Filipino farmworkers. Susan Garcia, a former migrant farmworker, expressed pride in returning to the fields where she once worked. “We still picked until I was 18. So, I have always worked for and supported the migrant farmworkers and wherever they are, I am with them.”
National president of the UFW, Teresa Romero, closed the rally by talking about the historic Delano Farm Workers’ battles for unionization where they were beaten and killed for standing up for their rights. “ Everyone here needs to show the courage to show solidarity with all workers no matter where they work or where they come from. We have also filed multiple lawsuits against the US border patrol to stop harassing farm workers in central California and we will continue mobilizing and marching and standing together till we win.”
Supporters of LA Hands-Off Cuba Committee, Building Relations with Cuban Labor and LAHOC member union, Roofers Local 36, distributed 1500 bilingual flyers, demanding an end to the US blockade and inviting workers to visit Cuba for Mayday.