Thousands join California farmworkers as UFW completes its 335-mile march to the Capitol
Thousands of people joined United Farm Workers in Sacramento on Friday to pressure Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a bill that would make it easier for farmworkers to vote in union elections.
The demonstration at the Capitol capped a 24-day, 335-mile march for the storied farmworker union.
“Their feet have become cut, bruised, and swollen but their spirits remain strong and their energy remains,” said Eriberto Fernandez, march coordinator for UFW. “They know that their sí, se puede attitude will carry them through the day.”
UFW began the pilgrimage on Aug 3. at the historic Forty Acres, the first headquarters of the labor union. The march was reminiscent of the organization’s origins 56 years ago when Cesar Chavez brought farmworkers on a similar route.
Chavez led that march in the spring of 1966. On this year’s summertime journey, farmworkers routinely dealt with 100-degree weather.
“People took off weeks, forged pay, spent time away from family and they really did suffer,” Grossman said.
Nineteen farmworkers trekked the entire pilgrimage, arriving at Southside Park Thursday night. On their final day, more than 3,000 people joined them, according to the California Highway Patrol. UFW’s estimates were closer to 7,000.
The participants, led by UFW President Teresa Romero and civil rights icon Dolores Huerta, were accompanied by Marachi music, indigenous dancers and shouts of ‘sí, se puede’.
Lourdes Cárdenas, a 59-year-old undocumented farmworker, finished the last few days of the march with swollen feet. She planned to walk all 24 days, but last Saturday nurses to take a break. She called Friday a proud moment for her and other farmworkers, and urged the governor to sign the bill.
“He once asked us for our vote,” Cardenas said. “We are asking him right now. We are parents and families as well as him and we deserve respect, equality and benefits.”
The march’s culmination came one day after Newsom’s office released a statement saying he does not support the UFW-backed bill in its current form, although he is open to negotiation. The governor vetoed a similar bill last year, citing “ various inconsistencies and procedural issues.” Newsom’s administration has concerns over how the mail-in election would be administered.
“There’s a national standard for how these mail-in elections are run,” Anthony York, spokesperson for the governor’s office, said on a phone call with The Bee on Friday morning. “Thousands of workers have been using them (those standards) to unionize and we believe that should be the standard.”
The UFW counters that the national model would not work for the people it represents.
Meanwhile, some state leaders defended the bill as it stands.
“UFW compromised a ton already,” said California Labor Federation President Lorena Gonzalez. “They came to the table, listened to the governor and took all of his input for over a year. The current bill is the compromise and it’s an incredible compromise.”
Gonzalez, a former Assemblywoman, has been an avid supporter of UFW for years and authored previous bills for the union. She recently cemented a pact with Romero to bring UFW back into the California Labor Federation, which represents 2 million union members.
Newsom was on the mind of speakers on Friday as they continually called on him to sign the bill. Romero said the union will continue its efforts if the bill is vetoed.
“ I marched 335 miles in these shoes, said Romero, while showing her footwear to the crowd. “But I am going to need a new pair of shoes to march again if necessary.”
This story was originally published August 26, 2022 at 2:24 PM with the headline "Thousands join California farmworkers as UFW completes its 335-mile march to the Capitol."
