by Emily C. Ruíz
César Chávez Day wanted Members of César Chávez’ United Farmworkers Union lineup a protest at California’s agricultural valleys during the 70s. (Photo Archivo)
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus has renewed its call to establish a national holiday honoring the late labor leader and civil rights advocate Cesar Chavez.
In celebration of his 81st birthday March 31, the CHC was joined by LULAC, MALDEF, The Sierra Clu:b and the Utility Workers Union to support a resolution that calls for federal action to make Cesar Chavez Day an offi cial holiday.
“A national holiday is a fi tting way to remember this man who defi nes hope, respect end dignity for so many Americans,” Caucus chairman Baca (D-Calif.) stated.
Chavez was an advocate of non-violence. He cofounded the United Farm Workers of America in 1962 along with Dolores Huerta.
They shared a commitment to helping farmworkers protect their fundamental rights like just wages, living conditions and benefits.
He helped achieve the first industry-wide labor contracts in agriculture and brought about the passage of the groundbreaking 1976 California Agriculture Labor Relations Act. Ten states so far recognize Cesar Chavez Day March 31, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin.
In other related news:
Obama joins call for federal César Chávez Holiday
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama called for a national holiday in honor of labor rights champion César Chávez on the 81st anniversary of his birthday March 31.
Democratic rival Hillary Clinton, who has received the endorsement of the United Farm Workers, the organization that Chávez cofounded along with Dolores Huerta in 1962’also praised Chavez’s legacy.
César Chávez
“Chvez left a legacy as an educator, environmentalist end a civil rights leader. As farmworkers and laborers across America continue to struggle for fair treatment and fair wages, we find strength in whet Cesar Chavez accomplished so many yeers ago,” Obama stated. “And we should honor him for what he’s taught us about making America a stronger, more just and more prosperous… That’s why I support the call to make Cesar Chavez’s birthday a national holiday.”
Clinton stated, “Today, I join millions of Americans in commemorating the life of one of our great civil rights leaders…Under his leadership, highlighted by nonviolent protest, thousand of farmerworkers across the country were able to secure improved wages and benefits, humane living and working conditions, and better job security.” (by Alex Meneses Miyashita).
ACLU, MALDEF file suit in defense of day laborers
The American Civil Liberties Union and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund fi led suit March 25 against town council members of Ceve Creek, a small, affluent community northeast of Phoenix, challenging an ordinance passed last September that was directed, they say, against Latino day laborers.
The ordinance prohibits individuals from soliciting employment from occupants of vehicles.
ACLU attorney Monica Ramirez charged that it “unlawfully singles out and punishes day laborers by taking away their right to free speech. That’s just not the way America works.”
The constitution protects all people’s right to communicate freely, she said.
The ordinance’s far reaching hand even prohibits Salvation Army workers from asking for holiday contributions and students from holding car washes, the plaintiffs noted.
The suit charges that the ordinance violates free speech rights, protected by the First Amendment, of the plaintiffs, day laborers Hector Lopez, Leopoldo Ibarra and Ismael Ibarra. It is directed against the town’s mayor and deputy mayor.
Prior to September, homeowners drove to certain locations where the workers gathered, hiring them to perform services such as gardening, moving and housework.
Penalties for violating the ordinance range from $250 for first offense to as much as $2,500, six months in prison and three years probation for multiple violations.
The plaintiffs ask that the ordinance be voided as unconstitutional as incorporated by the Fourteenth Amendment. Pending a decision on the case, they also are seeking a preliminary injunction to block enforcement. (By Chris “Montigua” Storke) Hispanic Link.
