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Membership, field strikes, and union contracts
With few funds and often baby-sitting the youngest of his eight children, Chavez drives to dozens of farm worker towns throughout California, painstakingly building up the membership of his infant organization. Believing field strikes and union contracts are years, perhaps decades, away, Chavez concentrates on offering farm workers modest benefits and meaningful services to join his infant organization. -
The Movement Starts
On his birthday, Cesar Chavez resigns from the Community Service Organization after the group refuses to commit to organizing farm workers. He moves his wife and eight small children to the dusty little Central Valley farm town of Delano and dedicates himself full-time to organizing farm workers. Dolores Huerta and others later join him. -
First convention of the National Farm Workers Association
The first convention of the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA) is convened with hundreds of delegates assembled in an abandoned movie theater in Fresno. The group's distinctive flag, a black eagle symbol on a white circle in a red field, is unveiled. -
Thousands of supporters join the marchers on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento on Easter Sunday.
Chavez and a band of strikers embark upon a 340-mile peregrinacion (or pilgrimage) from Delano to the steps of the state Capitol in Sacramento to draw national attention to the plight of farm workers. During the march and after a four-month boycott, Schenley negotiates an agreement with NFWA--the union's first contract. Thousands of supporters join the marchers on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento on Easter Sunday. -
Chavez and his 25 Day Fast
Chavez fasts for 25 days in Phoenix over a just-passed Arizona law essentially banning the right of farm workers to strike, boycott or organize. -
Chavez Marches and Rallies to Educate Workers
1,000-mile 59-day trek from the Mexican border at San Ysidro north along the coast to Salinas and then from Sacramento south down the Central Valley to the UFW's La Paz headquarters at Keene, southeast of Bakersfield. -
United Farm Workers Big Win
After a strike and boycott, the UFW wins its demands for a significant pay raise and other contract improvements from SunHarvest, the nation's largest lettuce producer. Other growers also settle. The union begins a boycott of Bruce Church Inc. lettuce. -
Wrath of Grapes
Chavez kicks off the "Wrath of Grapes" campaign to draw public attention to the pesticide poisoning of grape workers and their children. -
Cesar Chavez dies
Cesar Chavez dies at the modest home of a retired San Luis, Ariz. farm worker while defending the UFW against a multi-million dollar lawsuit brought against the union by the large vegetable grower Bruce Church Inc. -
Chavez Posthumously receives the Medal of Freedom
President Bill Clinton posthumously presents the Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor, to Cesar Chavez. His widow, Helen, receives the medal during a White House ceremony. -
Union mounts a major organizing drive among Central Valley table grape workers
The union mounts a major organizing drive among Central Valley table grape workers resulting in a summer election at Giumarra vineyards, America's largest table grape producer. Labor observers say it is one of the largest private sector union election campaigns in the nation in 2005. In November 2005, the state farm labor board rules the UFW has established a prima facie case that the election should be thrown out because of numerous violations of the law by Giumarra.