The Movement [August 1966]

DiGiorgio Fears Elections ·At Its Biggest Ranch ARVlN, CALIFORNIA --- During the The Movement attended a workers meet 20C first week of July, workers at DiGiorgio's ing on Sunday, the 24th, and saw there Arvin ranch, southeast of Bakersfield, the reason that the Teamsters and Com AUGUST authorized Cesar Chavez of the NFWA pany ran scared. About 250 to 300 of the to send a telegram to Robert DiGiorgio approximately one thousand workers at 1966 THI demanding immediate elections there. On the ranch attended the meeting. Many July 19th, Tuesday, the Teamsters and Anglos and Negroes attended the meeting. VOL. 2 DiGiorgio agreed to such an election. A large number joined the NFWA after The folloWing day, after the Teamsters the meeting (many already belonged). The NO.7 had apparently checked with their Arvin fact is that Anglos and Negroes will ~204 ·"'MOVEMENT:~ organizer, who sacks out in an expen join a Mexican-American union. Some of P"bhshedby sive motel in Bakersfield thirty miles the most militant supporters of the NFWA ~ The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee of California away, both DiGiorgio and the Teamsters are the so-called "Oakie" tractor driv backed down. ers. About half of the NFWA membership at Arvin showed up at the meeting. Many of the NFWA workers did not attend the meeting; they lived in Bakersfield and did not want to come out to the ranch ANIGHT WITH THE WATTS on Sunday. DiGiorgio tried to undercut this meet ing by inviting a Teamster organizer to speak at the ranch at the same time. Free beer was offered. Only the NFWIi. COMMUNITY ALERT PATROL spy appeared to hear the Company's By Terence Cannon union man. Another tactic. that the Company Union SOUTH CENTRAL LOS ANGELES: "Yorty has used to undercut NFWA strength at and Chief Parker are playing political Arvin is the importation of 'Teamster games with people," said Tommy Jac Farm Workers' from other DiGiorgio quette at the Comm1mity Alert Patrol ranches. At DiGiorgio's Sierra Vis t a (CAP) headquarters. "Their idea is to Ranch in Delano, where elections are to keep people separated, divide and conquer. take place on August 30, the Company The power structure has split the races." has layed off 180 workers. The general When I first met Brother Lennie, Field support that the NFWA has at the ranch Supervisor of the CAP, he carefullyex is demonstrated every day. On some plained why white people are not allowed days, foremen will hand out Teamster to ride in the CAP cars on patrol. "We authorization cards and then find them are not prejudiced or racist," he said. scattered all over the parking lot. "lf people in the community saw a white It appears now that the elections will on the patrol they would say we had sold take place early in September when the out, that's all. People have seen the white Emperor grapes must be picked, Since man pushing the black, pushing the black. DiGiorgio stalled. on the election this People in Watts want to see the black month, the workers who were picking the man doing something for himself." Thompson grapes are beginning to move •'We can say - look Baby, this is your out to other ranches: This does not mean patrol. You don't see us getting anything that these workers won't be able to vo::e, from anyone white." at least according to the Houghton guide That mad e sen s e. I and G e r h a r d lines. But the NFWA will have to keep G s c h e i die, MOVEMENT photographer, track of those workers who leave and drove in our own car along with the have signed no authorization slips, NFWA --~-.- atrol on the evening of July 1 We met at authorization slips count as yes votes the~;.~ -headquarters, 8501 Soath San for the NFWA even if the worker does Pedro at 7 PM. Brother Lennie gave out MIDNIGHT: THE PATROL stops at a hamburger stand, Brother Lennie is in the not vote. the route instructions to the drivers. straw hat, Brother Crook at far right. The beat of the Patrol exte11ds way (see ."Behind the August 30 Di Giorgio beyond Watts. That night there were two in the South--the same esprit, the It is claimed that there is a policy by . Election," poge 6) locations for the group Wf~ went with - sam e u r g e n c y, direct confrontation. the Los Angeles power structure to pro the Roller Rink on Sunset near Western The first confrontati<)ll 1almost missed, voke a riot. Those who claim this say it NEXT MONTH IN THE MOVEMENT: and a· Taco stand at Adams and Cranshaw. Across the street and down Adams a w0uld strengthen Yorty's hand in his carload of kids had been stopped, In the struggle with Brown, and while he was Analysis· and coverage of the mer flashing police light I could see the usual (CONTINUED PAGE 3, COLUMN I) ger of the NFWA into the AFL-CIO. figurc[-;: the ~op, writing, thumbing through the Vehicle Code book, andtheyoungdrlv er standing waiting, URBAN RENEWAL 111111111 111.... HARRY BRILL But ther.e were two new figures in the history of Los Angeles there too -- Bro ther Lennie 10 feet away, arms crossed, HUNTERS POINT PUBLIC HOUSING watching every move. And Brother Crook, notebook out, peering over the cops shoul NEED NOT BE DEMOLISHED! der, recording the badge number, the violations, the conversation, the actions, SAN FRANCISCO -- jects are rehabilitated to ac 1938 DODGE CAP CAR, driven by the attitude. - The Poverty Board of Hun,ters Point, a cord with applicable state and Brother Crook, The bumper sticker shows And you understood the meaning of the low income Negro ghetto in San Francisco, local building codes and regu a black panther with the slogan "We're CAP in that one scene, The YO.1J)~ driver has joined the Redevelopment Agency in its lations, such temporary ho.us the Greatest:' was not alone, Right or wrO:lg, legitimate unrelenting war against the poorl They've ing project may be continued ly stopped or .harassed, he was not alone, -been spreading the word that the 1800 in operation, but such dwelling Both were meeting places for young Ne temporary dwelling units of public housing structures shall be demolished groes and potential hotspots of police in the area must be demolished by 1970. not later than one year after harassment. In order to replace these units with pri the final adjournment of the Our patrol had 5 cars, led by Brother vate housing, they are now actively sup 1985 General Session of the Crook's 1938 Dodge and Brother Len'ie's porting the Agency's efforts to redevelop Legislature." white pickup. Hunters Point. The state law makers urged the passage Nothing much was happening at the A survey sponsored by the residents of this provision for San Francisco because Roller Rink. The CAP cars, white silk showed that most prefer to stay in their of a critical shortage of low rental housing flags w hip pin g from their antennas, present homes. And why notl Rents range for minority gro.Jps there~ It is most cruised the area. Few police cars were from only $41 to $78 per month, At a time unfortunate that these legislators 90 miles around. About 11 pm the Patrol moved to when low cost housing is in short supply, away in Sacramento are considerably more the Taco stand. evicting them is shamefuL Particularly responsive to the interests of the resi distressing is the fact that they could dents than is the leadership of the Hunters The Cops Move In probably remain if the Poverty Board Point Community, cooperated with the residents rather .than The recent marriage between the Pov Between 11 and midnight the Taco stand the Redevelopment Agency. erty Board and the Redevelopment Agency began to fill up with young people. It is A Poverty Board sensitive to the pov is certain to increase the poyert)' of the a small stand wlth a parking lot for about erty of its people would have explored poor residents of Hunters Point. Experi 15 :ars. By midnight there were 75 to every possible means to prevent the de ence with the Redevelopment Agency in 100 young people, eating, talking, sitting molition of low cost housing in their San Francisco has already demolJstrated in their cars. The CAP cars w'~re parked community, At least they would have read that "slum clearance" has been the Agen around the edge of the lot. One CAP the law. Had the Area Board done so, they cy's perennial excuse for getting rId of driver was explaining to a young girl would have found that the housing project low cost housing in the Cit)/ ~ That'S why what the Patrol was all about. Brother must be destroyed only if it was not re the Hunters Point Poverty Board's flir Len n i e and Brother Crook circulated habilitated by 1970. If the Board of Su tations with the Redevelopment Agency through the crowd,talking, socializmg, pervisors approved plans to renovate these marks a sad day for the poor in San organizing. public housing units, these buildings could Francisco, There was no doubt that the CAP group remain until 1986, another 20 years~ was part of the youth community in Los Specifically, the State law reads that if: (for full text of the law see Californ i:.: Angeles. Right._ away you are struck by "the dwelling structures in State Health and Safety Code.

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