Newspaper clippings for Onion Strike (1979)

Dublin Core

Title

Newspaper clippings for Onion Strike (1979)

Subject

Labor movement--United States--History--20th century

Description

Texas Farmworkers Union launched an onion pickers strike on April 4, 1979, on the farm of Charles Wetegrove, son of Edward Raymond, founder of the city of Raymondville. As with previous farmworker strikes, local law enforcement was brought in by growers as a means to deter picketers and protestors. Organizers, like Juanita Valdez, and others were arrested.

As TFW attempted to negotiate higher wages for onion pickers, their efforts were ended prematurely by Othal Brand of McAllen, who brought in his own farmworkers and bought out all the produce in the fields.

During the same period, United Farm Workers led a strike of Gulf Distributing Company's fields near Mercedes. UFW advocated for farmworker wage increases from $0.60 to $2.00 per bag of onions. Farmworker unrest spread throughout the Valley, including "sit-down" strikes in Weslaco and Alton.

Date

1979

Files

Violence feared in Onion Strike in Willacy County
Bishop Feels Compromise Possible in Onion Strike
Sit-down strike in onion fields
Onion Strike: TFW in Raymondville and UFW in Mercedes
Children of the [Onion] Fields
Photo of woman under arrest
Hunger strike among 12 Texas Farm Workers Union members
Page from El Cuhamil newspaper

Tags

special collections, archives, LRGV history, borderlands, US-Mexico history special collections, archives, LRGV history, borderlands, US-Mexico history special collections, archives, LRGV history, borderlands, US-Mexico history special collections, archives, LRGV history, borderlands, US-Mexico history


Citation

“Newspaper clippings for Onion Strike (1979),” UTRGV Digital Exhibits, accessed November 21, 2024, https://omeka.utrgv.edu/items/show/1699.

Geolocation