The struggle of the United Farm Worken Union, which is one of the most significant developments in the class struggle in the United States for year, has now been brought to the doortep of British labour.
Several shiploads of scab grapes have been sent to ports in Britain, and despite an agreement by T&GWU dockers not to bandie them, and a general policy of the Union which will prevent their sale through most fruit markets, some have been distributed to shops and stores in Richard Chuvez, a field director of the ElFW and brother of Cesar Chares, the founder and leader of the IW. Richard Chavez has gone on to try to close outiets for scab Californian grapes in Germany and Scandinaria.
STRUGGLE ESCALATES The extension of the UFW's boycott campaign to Europe is a nosit of an ex'alalion in Die strapple The campaign in the LIS to hay cutt shops solling scab grapes has hurt the growers badly, and they are desperately seeking outlets in Europe. Meanwhile the attempts of the LFW to win back the right to repres Recent UFW convention ent their members has been threatened hy a majos now scabbing operation by the International Brotherhood (ti of Testers.
In Red Weekly 27, we reported thal the Tearstees Union had agreed to wear up its contracts with the Californis crape growers, which had been sighed in an attempt lo smash the UFW. Linfortunalely, Frank Fitennons, President of the Teamsters and staunch Nixon supporter, hat since announced that they will Sionout the contracts after all, The UFW is once ugain faced with a lormilable alliance of the employers, the pro-Nixon wing of the capitalist class, and the world's largest trade union.
BOYCOTT WEAPON In this situation the boycott weapon has become mone important than over. Squads of hued Teamser thugs have prevented effective picketing, and economic pressure on the desperately poor Chicano (Mexican-American) and Mexican immigrant grape workers has made victory through strike action practically imposible. Only a successful boycott campaign, which mobilises beft-wing and liberal support in the cities, can prevent the UFW fram heing smashed like all previous agricultumt workers' utions in the ES, The British labour movement, socialist and student organisations unist muke sure that Britain is closed PUFW as a murket for scab grapes, wine, and orber empe prodicts At the time of writing no co-andinatod campaign has been set up, but the Student Christian Novement, who invited Richard Chavez to Britain, and Peace New have agreed to collate infarnation. Red Weekly readers should check in their local fruit arones, street markets, and supermarkets to find out I Californian grapes ete which do not bear the UFW Thunderbied emblems (reproduced in picture) ate on sle, In particular the gian US owned Saleway chain should be chocked, as they ane a major outlet for scab grapes in the US.
FURTHER ACTIVITY lE scab grapes, wine (Gallo is the brand name to look for etc and found to he on sale the information should be passed to Cocil Rajendrs at the office of the Student Christian Movement, Annandale. North End Road, London NWI1, phoee 01-455 2311, and) or John Ilyatt, Peace News, 01-837 9794. Richard Chavez will be returning to London at the weekend, where he will have further meetings to extend trade union support for the boycott. He will address a public meeting in the Africa Centre. King St. on Friday evening, and will participate in a picket of the Safewsy supermarket in Kings Road Chelsea at 10 am on Saturday.
GAVIN ROBINSON VIVA LA HUELGA nuary 1974 Page 11
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