{ title: 'The Spectrum (Buffalo, N.Y.) 1955-current, September 19, 1979, Page 8, Image 8', download_links: [ { link: 'http://www.loc.gov/rss/ndnp/ndnp.xml', label: 'application/rss+xml', meta: 'News about NYS Historic Newspapers - RSS Feed', }, { link: '/lccn/np00130006/1979-09-19/ed-1/seq-8/png/', label: 'image/png', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/np00130006/1979-09-19/ed-1/seq-8.pdf', label: 'application/pdf', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/np00130006/1979-09-19/ed-1/seq-8/ocr.xml', label: 'application/xml', meta: '', }, { link: '/lccn/np00130006/1979-09-19/ed-1/seq-8/ocr.txt', label: 'text/plain', meta: '', }, ] }
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00 Farm workers. —“ and his magnetic leadership of the'Mexican-American workers was compromised. The most significant development was the continuing influx of Mexican immigrants which divided Chicanos into the “haves” and the “have nots” in relation to work, and confused those sympathizing with the immigrants. workers’ jobs, One of the singular evidences of this chan gr was the labor day issue of the National Catholic Reporter, a traditional UFW supporter. It made a strong case that liberals and religious leaders were losing faith in Chavez. “Has the aura of sainthood ... worn thin?” it asked. In another incident which some read as “weakness,” growers recently gained their first legislative victory over farm workers when a bill to restrict union disciplinary hold over its members was approved by both houses, despite Democratic majorities, and sent to Governor Brown. He vetoed it and the bar majority consent was not enough for an over-ride. Nevertheless it was the first anti-UFW measure to pass both California legislative houses since the creation of the Agriculture Labor Relations Board four years ago. “The growers won’t stop trying to cut us back,” said Cohen. “They’ll keep chipping away just as management keeps chipping away at the National Labor Relations Act. We achieved a little balance of power and it will be a constant struggle to maintain it.” But, remarked Cohen, such changes are “just part of the growing process.” And the direction of that growth is clearly towards labor stability. A somewhat different difficulty arose over Chavez' resistance to the build-up of a normal union office staff. While the throngs of volunteers declined, the UFW leader insisted his immediate aides continue to serve on the ascetic volunteer level of past years, with S10 a week pay plus expenses. Press-spokesman Marc Grossman, who has been a trusted Chavez associate for 10 years, pointed out he gets by on this income with a wife and children “because some of us don’t put that much value on material things.” A fine legal staff put together by UFW counsel Cohen presented another problem. Cohen felt he could not ask top-flight young attorneys to accept such low pay. Ultimately he and Chavez agreed that the legal work would be done and paid for equitably on a consultant basis. - i*' \ Opprewed workers i Other problems besetting the union arise out of its unique mix of messianic crusade for the poor, which the charismatic Chavez symbolizes, and the tough, hard-driving effort to fashion a traditional trade union. This mix has imposed peculiar administrative difficulties. Initially Chavez attracted clusters of volunteer workers, personally devoted to him and dedicated to serving oppressed seasonal farm workers. “This a philosophical issue,” Cohen %ud. “Cesar just feels the union can’t afford staffing at normal pay rates.” Disaffection among liberals and church leaders was flatly denied by Grossman, who has been accompanying Chavez through Canada and to Eastern states, urging support for a new nationwide boycott against non-union lettuce. “The response has been tremendous,” Grossman said. \We find old friends are with us as strong as ever.” This support group has been dwindling of late, in part reportedly turned put by Chavez himself as he tightened command, and in part quitting in dismay over what seemed inconsistency in helping Mexican immigrants inside the union while Chavez attacked Mexican immigrants outside the union for taking hjs A division of FSA^
