Author and activist Randy Shaw today spoke in remembrance of Cesar Chavez, founder of the United Farm Workers (UFW). He spoke to members of Local 12 of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). Randy recalled the sense of mission Chavez instilled as he recruited new activists. With his focus on the plight of immigrant farm workers, and the power of non-violent forms of protest, Chavez overcame the power of agribusiness and politicians. He sent organizers throughout the continent (without such luxuries as wages or expense accounts) who persuaded grocery stores to stop carrying non-union grapes, and blocked anti-immigrant and anti-labor state legislation. His book recounts the early days of UFW organizing, and relates it to modern movements for immigrant rights, pesticide regulation, and the election of a new president. It is Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century.
