How have Unions been Important to Working People in California over the past 100 years?
by Joyce Yuan Labor unions benefit working people of nearly every profession in California from the farmers of San Joaquin to Hollywood actors. In the past century, labor unions have not only helped California s workers bargain collectively, but have also lobbied legislators in support of members interests and furthered the civil rights movement. By fostering cooperation, labor unions enable workers to win more rights and better working conditions. During the Great Depression, many farmers lost their land and had to join migrant farm workers in California s fields and vineyards. Since farm workers unions had not yet been developed, these laborers, in addition to suffering from low pay, often had to moved from field to field in order to support their families. Individual demands to employers for higher wages and more job security seemed futile. Fortunately, beginning in the 1960s, Cesar Chavez led the first successful farm workers union in U.S. history, the United Farm Workers. The UFW
