Glossary

August 29th Movement (ATM)  A Chicano movement that came out of the Chicano Moratorium in Los Angeles and merged with the East Bay Labor collective of Oakland and the La Raza workers Collective of San Francisco

The Bracero Program (1942-1964)  A federal program established to recruit Mexican laborers to legally work in the United States on short-term contracts.  

Crosetti A Watsonville canning and frozen food plant that closed in1996.

Decertification  Withdrawal of the union's official designation as the representative of the workers, usually as a result of an election.

Food, Tobacco, Agriculture, and Allied Workers (FTA)  Formerly the United Cannery, Agriculture, and Allied Workers of America (UCAPAWA), the FTA launched a successful organizing campaign in Southern California in the 1940s focusing on women and immigrant workers. They were poised to organize across the canning industry when the Teamsters' Union moved in, battling the FTA and ultimately forcing them out. The FTA was further weakened  by the communist purges of the 1950s.

International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Largely known for representing freight drivers and warehouse workers, the Teamsters have organized workers in almost every occupation, both professional and non-professional, private sector and public sector, including agricultural workers. The Teamsters are currently America’s largest union. 

The League of Revolutionary Struggle (LRS) A Marxist-Leninist organization that emerged from African American, Asian American and Chicano movements and was influenced by organizations such as the Black Panthers, the Brown Berets, and the Red guards. Their goal was a strategic alliance between workers and oppressed peoples to mobilize against capitalism and imperialism. They championed not just class struggle but self-determination for minoritized communities and women.

Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) A non-profit organization founded in 1968 to defend Latinos' civil rights.  MALDEF has lead landmark cases on access to education and voting rights, including Dolores Cruz Gomez v. the City of Watsonville, a precedent setting case which overturned the city's discriminatory at-large election system. The lawsuit was initiated by MALDEF on behalf of Dolores Cruz Gomez, Patricia Leal, and Waldo Rodriguez and argued by attorney Joaquin Alvia.

National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)  Passed by Congress in 1935, NRLA protects workers right to organize to improve working conditions without fear of retaliation. It seeks to correct the "inequality of bargaining power" between employers and employees by promoting collective bargaining.

National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)  NLRB is the federal agency that enforces the National Labor Relations Act and prosecutes violations of labor law. It has the authority to supervise union elections and remedy unfair labor practices.

North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)  A 1994 agreement between the United States, Canada, and Mexico to remove barriers to trade and investment between the three countries.  

Northern California Strike Support Committee  A group of labor and student activists affiliated with the League of Revolutionary Struggle and the Chicano Movement that organized food drives and caravans from the Bay Area to Watsonville.  Some members -- such as Oscar Rios and Shiree Teng -- relocated to Watsonville to organize and support strikers.

Picket Line  A boundary established by workers on strike, especially at the entrance to the place of work, which others are asked not to cross.

Rank and file The members of a union.

Ratification  Formal approval of a newly-negotiated agreement by a vote of the employees in a bargaining unit. Eligible voters in a union ratification are determined by the union’s bylaws and constitution. 

Santa Cruz Strike Support Committee  A group of activists, politicians, social service workers and other community members that raised funds for food and housing and attended rallies and court hearings in support of strikers.

Scab  A worker who refuses to join the union or who works while others are striking. Also known as a "strikebreaker."

Shaw Frozen Foods  A Watsonville cannery and frozen food plant 1975-1988. 

Solidarity  Unity between people who have shared interests or a common goal.

Strike  A temporary stoppage of work by a group of employees, not necessarily union members, to express a complaint, enforce a demand for changes in conditions of employment, obtain recognition, or resolve a dispute with management. 

Strike Fund Money used to pay members of a union who are on strike and not receiving their regular pay.

Strikers Committee  An elected committe made up of striking workers from Watsonville Canning that met regularly and represented strikers in meetings. Their activities included raising money for food, housing, and childcare; scheudling picketing; organizing rallies; and speaking at events.  

Teamsters for a Democratic Union (TDU) An independent movement within the Teamsters, driven by the rank-and-file, that aims to open the union to greater member participation, develop organizers and leaders, and organize grassroots campaigns.

Teamsters Joint Council 7 The intermediate Teamsters organization between the international
union and Teamsters local unions throughout Northern California and Northern Nevada. The Joint
Council assists its affiliated local unions in the areas of organizing, political action, education, strike sanctions, strike benefits, and corporate campaigns.

Trusteeship  When a parent union takes over a local union, usually because of operational or financial problems. 

United Farm Workers A labor union founded by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta to empower migrant farm workers and improve wages and working conditions.  The union was original formed as the National Farm Workers Association in 1962. In 1966 it joined with the Filipino Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to form the United Farm Workers Organizing Community.  

Watsonville Canning  A Watsonville canning and frozen food plant owned by the Console family 1941-87.

Watsonville Strike Support Committee  A group of activists, clergy, teachers, and other community members that raised funds, collected food, fought housing evictions, attended City Council meetings, organized rallies, and other activities in support of strikers.