ENDORSING THE FARM WORKERS' BOYCOTT OF RED COACH LABEL ICEBERG LETTUCE

WHEREAS, the migrant and seasonal farm workers who have organized through the United Farm Workers help feed America and much of the world and yet are among the nation's poorest workers; and

WHEREAS, since passage of California's historic collective bargaining law for farm workers, the UFW, under the leadership of Cesar Chavez, has won overwhelming victories in state-conducted secret ballot elections and has signed over 200 contracts with growers; and

WHEREAS, in January, 1979, farm workers walked off their jobs after lettuce growers, including Bruce Church, Inc., which produces "Red Coach" label iceberg lettuce, refused to negotiate in good faith over worker demands to escape from low wages and fringe benefits, and improve health and safety conditions (five farm workers have been killed in the past five years on Bruce Church property); and

WHEREAS, on February 10, 1979, 28-year-old UFW striker Rufino Contreras, the father of two young children, was brutally shot to death by three grower foremen at a struck lettuce field in California's Imperial Valley; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Church, Inc. continues to spray their lettuce with dangerous pesticides that are known to cause birth defects in rats and may affect human beings; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Church, Inc., the nation's third largest lettuce producer and the biggest grower refus­ing to come to terms with its workers, is leading the pack of anti-union lettuce producers resisting their workers just contract demands; and

WHEREAS, California's Agricultural Labor Relations Board, a government agency that enforces the state farm labor statute, has filed massive charges against Bruce Church, Inc. and other lettuce growers for "fail­ing and refusing" to bargain in good faith with the farm workers; and

WHEREAS, Bruce Church, Inc. is leading right wing reactionary forces seeking to cripple California's landmark farm labor law; and

WHEREAS, the farm workers and Cesar Chavez are once again turning to their last nonviolent tool-the nationwide consumer boycott-with an appeal to consumers to boycott Bruce Church, Inc.'s "Red Coach" label iceberg lettuce; and

WHEREAS, the American Federation of Teachers has traditionally defended the farm workers' right to organize by endorsing, promoting and making financial contributions to the UFW strikes and boycotts:

RESOLVED, that the American Federation of Teachers endorses the boycott of Bruce Church's "Red Coach" label iceberg lettuce until a fair contract is signed and the boycott call is rescinded; and

RESOLVED, that this Convention urges all AFT affiliates to take direct action to further the boycott of "Red Coach" lettuce. In addition, affiliates are also urged to provide financial support to the UFW to help striking farm workers defeat the union busting efforts of Bruce Church Inc.