 | The Cavalier daily Thursday, October 5, 1972 |  |
Wage Fight Sparks
Boycott Of Lettuce
By ELIZABETH JOHNSON
Consumers should boycott
all iceberg (head) lettuce
except that harvested under
United Farm Workers (UFW)
contract, a UFW Organizing
Committee told a University
audience Tuesday night.
Mark Pitt, Virginia
coordinator for the lettuce
boycott, urged about 30
students not to buy or eat the
lettuce. The Charlottesville
Resistance sponsored his
speech.
"You can be sure you are
buying UFW lettuce," Mr. Pitt
said, "if it is pre-wrapped in
cellophane and marked by the
union stamp with the Aztec
eagle.
Check Union Labels
"All union lettuce" he
said, "is shipped in boxes
bearing the union label. When
you go to the grocery, take five
extra minutes to ask the
produce manager to bring out
some boxes with union labels.
Mr. Pitt urged consumers to
double check every time they
buy a head of lettuce. "Many
times produce managers will
place a cardboard sign over the
lettuce when it is actually
non-union. You must ask to
see more boxes as proof."
Attempting to point out the
real purpose of the lettuce
boycott, Mr. Pitt's speech
underscored the standard
wages and working conditions
of migrant workers.
Lettuce workers in Arizona
and California would like to
be represented by the United
Farm Worker's Union, but
most growers have refused to
sign their contracts. By means
of the lettuce boycott, which
began May 3, 1971, the workers
hope to win decent wages.
"The issue is a lot more
than migrant worker's and
lettuce; the issue is the right of
the farm worker to have his
own union and decide his own
destiny," Mr. Pitt said.
Cesar Chavez Applauded
Applauding the progress
made by the UFW and Cesar
Chavez, Mr. Pitt cited specific
gains from the grape boycott
of the late 1960's. These
included wage increases, a
medical unit and protection
from harsh pesticides.
Although it might be almost
a year before any concrete
evidence appears, Mr. Pitt said
that tremendous gains had
been made by the lettuce
boycott.
Mr. Pitt concluded, "The
needs of the farm workers are
now. Migrant workers'
conditions must be changed
now. We have changed
conditions before and that's
what we're doing now."
There will be a meeting
Friday at 3 p.m. in the
Rotunda to organize leaf
letting of local supermarkets.
Anyone who is interested may
attend.
| The Cavalier daily Thursday, October 5, 1972 | |