Birth of a union

Duration: 0:33:00

Genre: Educational

Year Published: 1966

Creator: National Educational Television: Distributor

Format: 16mm

Color: B&W

Sound: sound

Description: For more than half a century union leaders had tried to organize the grape pickers in California’s rich San Joaquin Valley. Then, finally, they had success – a small band of California farm workers formed the National Farm Workers Association. This half-hour program shows the clash between California farm industry and the leaders of the NPWA, particularly Cesar Chavez, a disciple of Saul Alinksy, a former union organizer for John L. Lewis. Filmed by NET affiliate KQED in San Francisco, the program charts the everyday confrontations of pickets, growers, police and workers along the country roads of San Joaquin Valley. It shows the problems of picketing areas up to 4,000 acres, the hostility of the community of Delano, California and the friendship of other valley communities toward the hopes of the farmer workers. “Birth of a Union” examines the battle for the loyalty of the farm workers and recalls the desperate techniques and propaganda employed by both the union and management. The program looks at the people behind the union movement – Mr. Chavez, Delores Huerta, and James Drake – and at the opposition headed by Richard Myer of the DiGiorgio Corporation., Recounts the story of how the National Farm Workers Association came into existence. Documents the unique problems of picketing nearly 4,000 acres of vineyards. Presents, through interviews, the viewpoints of those people behind the union movement, as well as the representatives of the growers, local police, and clergy., Recounts the story of how the National Farm Workers Association came into existence. Documents the unique problems of picketing nearly 4,000 acres of vineyards. Presents, through interviews, the viewpoints of those people behind the union movement, as well as the representatives of the growers, local police, and clergy.

Complete Record: , Recounts the story of how the National Farm Workers Association came into existence. Documents the unique problems of picketing nearly 4,000 acres of vineyards. Presents, through interviews, the viewpoints of those people behind the union movement, as well as the representatives of the growers, local police, and clergy., Recounts the story of how the National Farm Workers Association came into existence. Documents the unique problems of picketing nearly 4,000 acres of vineyards. Presents, through interviews, the viewpoints of those people behind the union movement, as well as the representatives of the growers, local police, and clergy.NOTE: Two (or more) records have been merged together to create this data.