00:00:16.850 - 00:01:24.370

OK. No I can I talk to you. So, um, I, I, I did find an article about you and I. The Matrix born in Mexico they wind up in 1920s, migrated

00:01:24.370 - 00:01:51.260

to. that it was a whole, uh, what is it the new people there, there was that kind of a. But you were adopted to go back to Mexico? No, no, my father was lucky in that he had a year-round job on a farm in that area,

00:01:51.440 - 00:02:23.639

so we weren't migrants, which was. And how old were you when you. And you went to school at UC Santa Cruz after you became a mother. Santa Barbara how old your kids when you went to school there were

00:02:23.639 - 00:03:20.460

what age I think they were 5 and 6. Yeah, were you, were you at Santa Barbara. I was at Francisco. I remember I actually wrote about you guys in our campus paper. It was that there was a big struggle there. I remember an anthropology

00:03:20.460 - 00:04:08.300

teacher, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, and we did the. I stole it. Um, so what you, how did you get to Watsonville. Did you ever actually graduate from UCSB or, yeah, I sort of, yeah, I graduated and I got a teaching. I didn't Joe. He was

00:04:08.300 - 00:05:08.609

a teacher and he didn't want to do it. Is that all the. You, you wound up in Watsonville about 6 years, 6 years later, 6 or 7 years ago. Um, what were you doing before then? I was uh I was. And did

00:05:08.609 - 00:05:53.480

a was a neighborhood project there. Salem, Oregon and um. Before that was up in Marquette with my partner at the time and uh did a A kind of a community projects Marquette, Michigan. Michigan. What was the you were involved in organizing senior. What was it? Oh

00:05:53.480 - 00:06:48.959

yeah, I think that they made it sound like you really What was the scene like on the campus? I mean, mostly it was. Union and Mostly and then just everybody supporting each other because we're kind of

00:06:48.959 - 00:07:17.000

a small group and just learning about things. I started, I went to college to deal with the problems with the Native Americans. I went to a movie. It was Cheyenne Adam and I had to go do something. And I was going to help. In that way,

00:07:17.170 - 00:07:54.410

who knows what. I've never seen that movie. And and then I find that ah we had problems and I recognized that the Mexicans and so it was, there was one or two. Yeah. And I'm I'm thinking when you

00:07:54.410 - 00:08:31.920

when you came to Watsonville, what made you decide to traveling around to be my partner's dog. And so we came to deliver this dog and stayed. I remember staying camping at New Brighton and seemed like a nice area and I

00:08:33.830 - 00:09:29.530

I Watsonville, a small community. Um And so I lived in Santa Cruz for a few months and then I moved to Watsonville. What's the kind of funds. Progressive. Yeah, I've talked to some of these folks. I think, um, my

00:09:29.530 - 00:10:42.130

impression of Joe is that mainly he, he got involved with the community when the Teamsters for Democratic Union took up Juanpara's case. Yeah. It wasn't good, Watsonville you know I knew some of the, mostly they were the farm workers out in the fields. Mhm what did

00:10:42.130 - 00:11:20.739

you first start with the frozen strikes began. You didn't really Joe made it sound like you don't. That was immigration, I think with and Juan. I just remember, uh, of course TDU very much involved. They put together the play,

00:11:21.150 - 00:12:35.130

we did the play. Meeting with. Getting workers involved, and we did the work. I was the actor in the play and he told me that's what I recall. Yeah and he was a guy and I said, you know, because you know I was busy so we

00:12:35.130 - 00:13:03.270

were doing registration and stuff and so I didn't have time to really practice. You know, I've been reading. Yeah. It's kind of like being a bridge too, you know, people maybe weren't talking to each other much during the strike. This is sort of

00:13:03.270 - 00:13:24.820

a way they can communicate now, you know, later. Oh really? Um, so, Once the So you learned about the union pretty much from working with Frank and Joe on that play, uh, and, uh. How many people came to the performance? You remember, was out in the

00:13:24.820 - 00:13:44.250

park? Yeah, we had a, uh, there was a parade. Now why, why was there a parade? It was coordinated to happen with the play, and I don't remember now if if the parade was for the play. Get people to the park, but the park was pretty

00:13:44.250 - 00:14:11.080

cool as I recall, yeah. Did you, uh, Did you know Manuel Diaz at all came to town or, or his mother, Reyna from from San Jose? Yeah I'm trying to place uh. Um, they ring a bell and I can't worked in San Jose and I mean

00:14:11.080 - 00:14:44.349

she, she passed away a few years ago she was doing the same kind of stuff that you were doing in Watsonville I think like a lot of immigrant rights. Um, and then she got interested in the strike. I know. And

00:14:50.049 - 00:15:51.950

remembers quite a bit, you know, very thoughtful. So the strike about 2 weeks. Uh, we tried to do a red strike. Um, anything that impacted them with everything we try to help and provide services yeah.

00:15:52.150 - 00:16:50.630

I mean if if Frank's involved it's what they should be trying to do or what might work. dedicated Frank was strikes. Um, and they have that clause in the contract where anybody who settles for less, you know, they have the right to reopen and

00:16:50.630 - 00:17:11.109

negotiate the wages down again, and I know there was a lot of resistance in the other plants to seeing their wages cut like that, um. You were involved a lot of rosetti, weren't you at Watsonville Watsonville. You didn't go to those meetings John Silver's movie has

00:17:11.109 - 00:17:54.449

several scenes, you know, meetings of the Crossetti workers where they're arguing about what to do and I remember. Watsonville. You said Well, they're going to decertify Watsonville, and when they do, they're going to try to lower wages again here so we're just going

00:17:54.449 - 00:18:15.069

to take up the struggle again when that happens. Do you recall, I mean, were you actually operating under the assumption that that the strike at Watsonville Canning was not going to, you know, that they were going to decertify there? Uh oh yeah. Um All I remember

00:18:16.229 - 00:19:46.562

is that they were resistance. Do you have any idea why the workers at Shaw went back as willing as they did? Um, My impression that somehow there was more shark. Watsonville. you

00:19:46.562 - 00:20:28.729

know Groups that we would have contact with people we would talk, yeah. Are there particular people that you work at or or people watching you work closely with? I give you some names. Well, Jose Lopez Enrique,

00:20:35.180 - 00:21:15.069

can't remember his name I'm gonna talk to his wife I guess in a couple of weeks I just had to find someone who could translate for us. She seems like a nice woman. Yeah, well, there were all the people on the strike. I know most first

00:21:15.069 - 00:21:39.010

name Amelia I still have contact with a lot of them and uh. Elio Eliodoro might be interesting to talk to Eliodoro Eliodoro. I can't think of his name right now, but I have a phone number. I don't have

00:21:39.010 - 00:22:21.300

a phone number, give it to me. Yeah, I would go to the senior and she'd take me around and, you know, I mean. the union should have. Made of her I think Sergio didn't like her um did you um Steve Morris, I don't know if you

00:22:21.300 - 00:22:35.300

remember him. He worked with the Northern California. He's up at, you know, the University of Oregon now in Eugene and I, so when I was living up there, I tracked him down and he gave me a big box full of papers. I guess it's a big

00:22:35.300 - 00:23:37.699

demonstrations in the din. Steve in his notes that you said you didn't think that the strikers. I can't remember. I couldn't even speak English. I'm still in that I don't think it was and it was actually. The group that

00:23:38.569 - 00:24:16.609

uh I think to weaken the the strike and so this group um pretty much went on their own and didn't really um. Do a consensus or take into account what people might have wanted to do or the direction that they wanted to take in negotiating with.

00:24:21.119 - 00:25:01.760

Yeah. for a couple of I think I have a letter from Sergio was addressed to you and Frank said you're not in the union came out around the time of the settlement and it was bore you out of the hall but that was

00:25:01.760 - 00:26:06.050

the end. a firecracker. I mean, do you remember what the what the issues were, what the differences of opinion. Was it you know. Um, if you don't remember this, you probably don't remember why you said it, but you know, um the less disgrace. Did you feel

00:26:06.050 - 00:27:02.160

that the union on the strike. there were some key things that he said that would convey, you know, his point of view or their point of view. And uh. Yeah that discounted the workers and so you didn't embrace you and Gloria did go and. Women's Day

00:27:02.160 - 00:27:43.619

right? I know you were on the right. And then I remember, you know, I read this interview that came out right after the strike where you're saying oh we couldn't work with each other. I did work with each other, yeah. Um, just

00:27:43.619 - 00:28:41.280

to help people get through as long as they survive would be facing eviction or you were able to help in a situation like that. Yeah, so what's going on. I cannot remember if we helped. I know there was Enrique. They were

00:28:41.280 - 00:29:36.310

evicted, weren't a lot of attention to the movie? I should have brought it with me. Um, I know, uh. Yeah. Did you? Did you or did they just dismiss the charges? No, we went to court uh-huh and yeah, so there's all blank. it was

00:29:36.310 - 00:30:08.750

11. Well, you know, he just ran for mayor of Oakland didn't do all that well but uh. I went to a house meeting for him. Um, do you remember much about that trial? Um, Yeah, the, the, the police looked pretty silly, especially when they showed the

00:30:08.750 - 00:31:03.569

film that they had been portraying this big mob. That There was that and then uh I think we did we were able to get some things about the strike in there um. But you quit. I was afraid of. I wouldn't be. I described to me how

00:31:03.569 - 00:31:51.369

you would knocks. How do you identify people who needed this kind of a an office office was in the I think it was in '84. Uh what was it called, what were we called and there were

00:31:51.369 - 00:32:50.489

other things that came from that, but anyway, so we had an office that people could come to. And so we know that the immigration. Lopez on the task force. He, you know, one of the things that

00:32:50.489 - 00:33:07.420

struck me about him is it seemed like he I don't know how to find him if you know how I track him down and interview him, but nobody seems to know where he is now, but I, I, I was struck by the fact that he kept

00:33:07.420 - 00:33:19.540

getting arrested on, you know, DUI, and at one point he had a couple of loaded firearms in the backseat and that kind of thing and then just when they were about to vote at Delmar, you know, he got caught with, you know, a couple of weapons.

00:33:19.579 - 00:33:54.920

I mean. How, how well did you know him? You said you worked, he was one of the people you worked with what's your assessment of him now? I respected him very much. vulnerable in a vulnerable position um I don't know how much, yeah, yeah, yeah, and

00:33:54.920 - 00:34:36.638

that that did not matter so he, he. This is But it didn't I talk to people that he was a very bright guy, very smart, very articulate some political background in Mexico, but emotionally he was very volatile, you know, impulsive. I don't know about impulsive so

00:34:36.638 - 00:35:13.360

much as I think if he saw a direction or how the strike should be going, he would voice that. I don't. Yeah, yeah, I think what Manu said, you know, but he said you know he was he was a brilliant. he was very, very sharp, but

00:35:13.360 - 00:35:55.409

you could not trust him because he wasn't just an anarchist in his, he had an anarchist personality, you know, it's like you never knew what he was going to do that. Watsonville strike the relations between the two of them. And uh You know, it's seems unfortunate

00:35:55.409 - 00:36:13.750

in retrospect. He was, he was in jail for that. The better part of the strike and he was arrested like he went to jail in March and they sent him up for about 6 months, not that long, yeah he was he at the end. Was he

00:36:13.750 - 00:36:40.280

there? I'm pretty sure he was. I don't remember exactly what he was in and out I know he, the day that he was one of the 19. 0, was he? Well, he, yeah, and they, they went in to the crab to get him. He was a.

00:36:40.790 - 00:37:26.129

Uh, yeah, um. Um, And so I would say as much by the union as by the police in cahoots you heard about the church. You talk about the knees, they went to that church and then but the day that the strike when they signed the

00:37:26.129 - 00:37:58.790

people did not go to that church. They went across the street to the. Catholic church, the Catholic Church and I forget the different things that it was mostly Father Murphy that he was in Patrick's and he was Betty Murphy's

00:37:58.790 - 00:38:22.860

brother. He was the Betty Murphy. She was really, yeah. Yeah, I didn't realize that there was. And um years like in in 2004, 2005, there was a, a woman that came in. And she was very much religious but very political. She would, you know, tell the

00:38:23.750 - 00:38:45.510

priest what needed to happen. So one of the things he did, he would not let them that group was Mexicans use the organs, so they started fundraising to buy their own organs and so there were, I believe two organs, I think it got that far. So

00:38:45.510 - 00:39:12.360

anyhow people then. that there was some racism and then there was another snug I forget what it was but it was by the church. So when the strike was over, we all drove across the street, the bridge to to

00:39:12.360 - 00:39:34.699

celebrate at the church there, Patrick's. Mm. Well, I've seen pictures of that celebration of people walking along that. Uh I didn't realize that's where it happened. Did you, um, the rallies were mainly in Calahan Park or were they at the square downtown there but I think

00:39:34.699 - 00:40:11.780

mostly. I don't know if we ever had or were you aware of the um When did you find out about the Teamsters petitioning for that vote to certify the union? Do you remember that? That's one thing

00:40:11.780 - 00:40:48.179

that, you know, to me it was a very big deal. I mean. They had never had the union had never been certified in that plan, so that gave them the right to ask for a certification vote before the 12 month deadline was up so that the

00:40:48.179 - 00:42:20.969

strikers would be allowed to vote. I was, I remember, I just remember it being big. Everybody came back to town. Trying to get everybody to vote. No. the strike a vine. Sure. rich

00:42:20.969 - 00:43:07.300

and none of that mattered. No, but he was on the other side of the strikes that I see Mexico. You didn't know him very well conservative titles. takes Do you remember the whole debate that took place when the negotiating committee

00:43:07.530 - 00:43:28.290

at the very end there after David took over the company, and they came back to San Francisco and It came out that the part-timers would be treated like new hires they would have to wait for their benefits. Um, when I interviewed, she told me there was

00:43:28.290 - 00:43:55.379

this for several days running people would just be standing in the parking lot of the hall just arguing about it. We were down there during that? do you remember it very well. I mean you put out a leaflet, I guess just you sign personally telling people

00:43:55.379 - 00:44:41.780

I've got it. It's OK, Frank Frank Frank saved everything and he don it all to the library in San Francisco, you know, I. I don't know Spanish is lousy, so I have a big idea of what you're saying here. I know the headlines as lies and

00:44:41.780 - 00:45:14.370

tricks. he's he's a nice guy. I never had any problems. It's just I I had to choose. Yeah, especially when I like I'm not wasting my time with you because I'm going over the hill with yeah, so I have so they're all. Are you in? Yeah

00:45:17.090 - 00:45:48.080

Yeah I learn more but for so long that I do they have. I've been there twice. So they're, they're kind of outcast so they're cool. They're one of the biggest. Sort of. Do you remember it now or uh yeah yeah I mean. Well, if you find

00:45:48.080 - 00:45:57.649

yourself some time on your hands, you know, if you come up here and you want to spend all the time, go to the library at San Francisco State and open up that box of Frank's papers and they can put you on memory lane. I mean he's.

00:45:58.750 - 00:46:36.820

I spent a week there, you know, copying and we're fortunate that he saved 3030 years ago, yeah, I can't even remember last week. Well, my problem is I, I don't remember last week either, but I do remember 30 years ago, you know. Esperanza, but you know

00:46:36.820 - 00:47:13.500

Trujillo. Yeah, she was, I, I'd love to her. She stayed active even after the settled, you know, you know, she was actually on the striker. She was one of the people elected. Do you remember the meeting where that where that was elected in October

00:47:13.500 - 00:48:33.850

early in the strike? You said you thought it was kind of an inside deal. Yeah. Is it about. Yeah. Esperanza Enrique. She wasn't. Go for that she would have been in that in that in that I'll ask her I believe Gloria, even

00:48:33.850 - 00:48:59.705

though she spoke English, she was just a line. And Enrique was they were both on the production line. They weren't. Enrique wasn't a mechanic or anything like that. You might not have, you might have done other stuff. Um, no, he wasn't well, the men were the

00:48:59.705 - 00:50:02.649

ones that were loading and that was something that Gloria was always kicking about. I don't see any on the forklift, you know, that kind of thing. That female you know. was that the group that I was associated with uh did not like that. Who

00:50:02.649 - 00:51:24.699

are you referring to when you when you say that I associated with uh. You're not talking about it. Um, No, I don't remember all the, all the little, yeah, so. I. They had Halloween, and we were, I think we were already out

00:51:24.699 - 00:52:00.094

of the hall. When the strikes the strike the strike, and I think we were. Halloween I don't know why I remember that that people were just coming in and out of the union hall, you know, that was one of the higher ups in the hall. we

00:52:00.094 - 00:52:48.260

didn't pay any attention if they tried to enforce that they would have had, you know, they weren't shut out of the union hall you know it's it, you know, you said something I'm here. Oh, I know I know the shots. We were, this

00:52:48.260 - 00:53:04.969

would be the day of the vote, the recertification vote because I have a leaflet. I didn't bring this one with me. I tell you, but. This was put out by the support and I my is that John Silver wrote it, but it said the union asked

00:53:04.969 - 00:54:23.330

us to come and do child care while the vote was going on, the recertification vote, but when we showed up to do it. we're going to be disrespected the strike, but we're gonna be. Watsonville. Going on the field?

00:54:27.860 - 00:54:55.649

Were there a lot of a lot of people living in Watsonville who were working in the fields at that point? Yeah, well, when I got there in 1980, yeah. And we, there were migrant migrants housing. Oh yeah, yeah, there was that little camp yeah yeah and

00:54:55.649 - 00:55:45.810

uh. I remember we did stuff around that and pesticides tell me more about that and nutrition, so that would have been 12 I think we did a play. to try to inform people about the dangers of the pesticides to them, um, what they could do. So

00:55:45.810 - 00:56:09.419

you were working at a, I mean there was a health clinic there, weren't you in that office where you were working? Did you get a lot of people walking in there who've been sprayed or suffering effective pesticide poison dramatic. No dramatic. I know one time people

00:56:09.419 - 00:56:34.500

were coming up with but what it turned out to be was salary produces some kind of uh. Reaction when gets on the skin with the sun and people were getting that so it was a false you know we thought it was a chemical and it turned

00:56:34.500 - 00:57:20.370

out to be. Did we ever deal with um sprayers, you know, they were always flying. I seem to recall we had to have done tried to. Oh, we didn't. No, I was just trying to inform people what the. Yeah. the clothing from the pesticides that we

00:57:20.370 - 00:57:42.500

thought were good. Did you know people who were evicted or became homeless during the strike? Can you think of anybody from the family? So I can, yeah, so as far as when you're repping these two products, obviously we like to keep you know I always tell

00:57:42.500 - 00:58:55.979

ours, you know what people do when they were evicted, some people were absorbed by family, um, it was mostly that. Um, trying to remember if I think I well where one another. Hormel. of that type of they were around for a while. Well, I

00:58:55.979 - 00:59:36.020

know I was criticized because we held up. We held up balloons. Um, you know, someone like Frank didn't think balloons were appropriate. like. Did you um did you know Frank, I guess. I mean he's stuck around this whole time. When did you leave Watsonville, right? You

00:59:36.020 - 01:00:20.439

just went down to Mexico. No, no, I went to uh uh farm in Maine. Oh really? Yeah. it was up there for farming for 4 years and then working as a migrant worker helping migrants. would have been Turner Turner, Maine, it would be up north of

01:00:20.439 - 01:00:57.620

Portland, uh-huh, yeah, Lewiston area right near the coast or yeah. Big big farm up there and that fellow horrible conditions and so on and so forth, so the government finally got on him and so started providing services for the workers and I got to do that.

01:00:58.719 - 01:01:52.580

Um, yeah, so you've been in Puerto Vallarta on the Watsonville, were your kids? Uh yeah, they would have been born like in their mid 60s they were

01:01:52.580 - 01:02:34.800

already pretty much grown up by the time my kids were with me in there. And they came to the the one came to the Bay Area that that was why I had time to do all this and you know, you know. I was, I mean the

01:02:34.800 - 01:03:50.060

strikers had to deal with. No. That's why there were there were problems I can't remember. I remember they were in there was on the on the task. You know what I mean, who else was on that tasks.

01:03:57.820 - 01:05:07.090

along with our community and it's fine and we brought up cases to the INS this or that. I can't remember. Yeah. Uh-huh I can't remember it has to be. And I can't remember why we The task force. I can't remember. They were not really a

01:05:07.090 - 01:05:42.669

big issue though during the strike from what I understand. I mean, I didn't hear. I remember this parade that we had for, but that was that was before we had big giant puppets that catching people. Where did they come in come in come

01:05:42.669 - 01:06:24.030

in but you know what incidents. He said that the trouble with people in Santa Cruz is they're more worried about what happens in Central America than what happens under their noses, yeah, um. I talked to Jim Brock, you know, uh, who's

01:06:24.030 - 01:07:23.062

living down in, he's retired in. I was. Watsonville sket. You had your own take on what should happen politically I mean did you raise it? Did you agree with everything she said no,

01:07:24.893 - 01:08:30.419

we just, we were there to work and take other people's orders, you know, that was pretty much what I got. They gave me leaflet to pass I pass them out. I know that they were. Having a lot. yeah,

01:08:31.029 - 01:10:06.770

well, Joe and he became he became a union official, you know. Um, but he was, uh, not necessarily with all of the, um, Frank, I think there was a lot of the union that there's a lot of support. We didn't

01:10:06.770 - 01:11:17.009

agree with the union no matter what I'm trying to get here. I'm on my feet. No. Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah. Well they weren't strikers. The workers and some of the Watson volcanic strikers

01:11:17.009 - 01:11:41.640

pick up the local brand and then later on at the end was going broke and the bank basically was holding all of its debts. And I think there was a feeling among everybody, you know, the strikers, the, the union, although they were worried about the stuff

01:11:43.779 - 01:12:13.270

that the bank had to be pressured into. Whoever, whoever they have to. And there were some demonstrations at Wells Fargo Bank uh in the uh in January and February of '87, right before the settlement happened. Do you remember any of this? Am I ringing any bells

01:12:13.270 - 01:12:43.359

for this? I remember being there. Yes, you did, and I remember what did we do? They went up to San Francisco at one point the headquarters on, you know, Montgomery Street. Watsonville. So there was some incident at the uh. the ATM machine. How No, we went

01:12:43.359 - 01:13:29.160

inside and and talked to people there. What we we told them something. You're gonna sell it wholesale. was What did you 2 years. But uh yeah I forget how we would do that. So you would just get in line and wait until you came to the

01:13:29.160 - 01:13:55.540

window and instead of that cash my check, you know, uh-huh uh-huh. Did you get a sympathetic I think I want to ask you about the strike. I remember going for a few of the rallies when the strike was going on and I've gone down since I

01:13:55.540 - 01:14:18.890

started doing this research and I get the feeling that it's a different place in a lot of ways, not just because the plants have all shut down, but it's much less of an Anglo town than it used to be that you know, Latinos are not outsiders

01:14:18.890 - 01:14:35.729

the way they were. Do you, I mean, you were, you were in Watsonville when all the plants started to close down and all that after knocked it passed. What was your uh How would you sum up what was going on in town at that point? What

01:14:35.990 - 01:15:18.950

kind of changes should it go through? Well, Uh, we did the suit against the city of I know that after the strike it's, you know, basically quiet, but then we get the uh the results of the. The suit and the district elections that has made all

01:15:18.950 - 01:16:14.609

the difference as far as more representation on the city council have an assembly. That whole strikes at the high school. It had people, people's involvement and That's some leadership, so we're gonna know that. I see the strike but you

01:16:14.609 - 01:17:35.680

go to City Hall, they have a window with a I don't feel there's any any reflection of the Latino community. Was shut down. Um, What's your assessment of how effective

01:17:35.680 - 01:18:10.109

they are, you know, you know. What kinds of things should they try to do? I have no idea except that I recall Rio's trying to do economic development. Yeah, but what. This is when he became mayor. What did he do? Well, there was a mall. But

01:18:10.109 - 01:18:51.700

it was mostly oriental products and oriental yeah yeah so uh I don't know how much we're all they're not gonna. Is there a big Asian population were just selling imports. Where they were the capital was coming from overseas. The investors were like I have no idea.

01:18:52.680 - 01:19:22.390

What was I doing? Oh yeah, I I I I. So yeah, so those are the products we're gonna have. So basically anything you want as far as strain. Did you work with the whole the whole time you were on their payroll the strike, and

01:19:22.390 - 01:20:44.569

nutrition. Ha. So anyways, we'll let you know. Yeah. That's why we keep getting our federal funding. We were independent from 84. I'll let you know. But basically you paying your bills strike

01:20:51.359 - 01:21:26.629

and you strikes and so on. I can't remember how we seem to, we have to try to keep it separate. figuring it out right now that's a good point yeah. One of the things that's in that interview is, um, either you or John said that. At

01:21:26.629 - 01:21:44.729

the beginning there were strikers who were part and then you decided not to do it that way anymore that you paid jobs to a couple of strikers, but that generally you want to be independent from from the actual strikers. But I don't recall that I'm just

01:21:44.729 - 01:22:41.910

throwing all this stuff out. I'm starting to feel guilty. What would the reason not to have strikers participate in the. I can't remember what our thinking was. Do you remember who it was that you hired, which are the strikers, I guess you had. Either

01:22:41.910 - 01:23:44.080

you or that you got from the publisher. I think at Berkeley. she wrote a dissertation about I get the impression of rich liberal. You know I can't think of his name. Uh no, as I recall, there was a, uh, no.

01:23:45.939 - 01:23:59.180

OK. He was related to which group from Santa Cruz that did the fundraising, so I never saw. All we know is that they would turn over the funds or maybe it was I don't know if it was in the bank and then we would take out

01:23:59.180 - 01:24:53.060

a certain amount each week to pay for the provisions of that week. I don't recall. I don't recall having paid anybody. You bus to the union hall OK so whatever you did use the Union Hall. when we were thrown out, we have been on the

01:24:53.060 - 01:25:14.870

outside, you know I remember this is this is funny because. Sergio still talks about this, um, you know, the good stuff, you know, if only they had to stuck to support work and not try to negotiate our contracts for us, you know, it's like they just

01:25:14.870 - 01:26:00.504

didn't know where to draw the line, you know, like they weren't workers, they weren't the ones who are going to have to live under these contracts, you know that's. Did you have any contact with him. Kerry.

01:26:05.359 - 01:26:40.810

was elected, you know, the president and he was wound up being expelled from the union. Doing the same thing that he accused the leadership of doing, which is union using union funds to get himself reelected and I've met and I got to know Tom ran for.

01:26:41.189 - 01:26:55.930

Teams and you know he said it was just heartbreaking this guy we put all his faith in him and he he just he blew it, you know. Uh we were trying to change the union. It was a difficult struggle and you didn't pay a whole lot

01:26:55.930 - 01:27:44.839

of feelings about the union of the surprising. It was surprising. How was it, was it surprising? Uh, it was, uh, it was a, uh, what is a learning for me how, uh. Depending on your local politics, how you know that influenced your union and so as

01:27:44.839 - 01:28:24.509

I said, the strikers had everyone against them, their own union, City Hall, Do you feel like 12 got any better. I think so and it was uh worker driven. But not because it came from. A change real. Inward change but rather that people were constantly. You

01:28:24.509 - 01:28:44.680

know, I remember interviewing Cesar Chavez right after the strike was settled. I was writing an article and I was supposed to get reactions of all the people around the country, you know, he said, you know. The most important thing about that strike is not the wages,

01:28:44.759 - 01:29:09.319

it's not the benefits. It's that after all those years of no fight back and no struggle, they finally have a real union in that. That's the real victory. Yeah, I don't know how it went. I don't know how deep it was really for the workers. Well,

01:29:09.330 - 01:29:45.160

it was interesting because. There had been so ugly stuff and the the tsar, you know, that kind of thing and I got the feeling he was watching it very carefully. Um, you know? He was the guy

01:29:45.160 - 01:29:59.859

that Chuck Mac Watsonville, and most of what he did was behind the scenes stuff. He did a lot of the negotiating of the contracts. He set up the whole boycott, you know, the consumer boycott and trying to get the warn the farmers don't loan or don't

01:29:59.859 - 01:30:27.350

make sure he pays you for any you give him, otherwise you're not going to get paid. He did a lot of that stuff. Were you aware of that kind of thing going on? No, no, probably because it was there was a lot of, you know, don't

01:30:27.350 - 01:31:05.899

hesitate to uh you've been very generous with your time. And like I say, you can always call me. Where's she? Did she went she's resting. Oh, there she is. OK, now she's um. So she lives in LA now or in the Teamsters. Did

01:31:05.899 - 01:31:26.930

you know that they pretty much were threatening to pull all their pension funds out of the bank? Uh, yeah, I remember that one. That was, it didn't really get confirmed until I think that probably is what finally finished off our console. That's when they cut off

01:31:26.930 - 01:31:58.279

their credit to him. Ah, it just became more, more money than they were willing to risk. Good idea. No, don't. You don't recall there being a lot of discussion about that stuff and the workers you were at the the pensions, different things with the bank um.

01:31:59.930 - 01:32:23.790

And who else? Uh I know at those rallies, you know, Chuck Mac would get up and say we're going to Persuade people in the community that it's not in your interest to do business should not be loaning money the farmer should not be selling him unless

01:32:23.790 - 01:32:39.240

they're unless he's giving him cash money right then and there should not be the supermarkets should not be buying. It's not safe, you know, the health inspectors are on it, that kind of thing. They were looking for ways to put pressure on apart from on the

01:32:39.240 - 01:33:01.589

picket line. You weren't that the Iran about it and I just said, you know, do you think that stuff was important? He says, you know, he wasn't terribly. Impressed with it. I think Frank felt that there had to be a ah. A walk out of all

01:33:01.589 - 01:33:34.370

the frozen food plants. That was the only way the strike was going to win. Did you feel that as well? Yeah. Uh, hold on. Yeah. I can't remember. There was, I had some thinking about it about why, what would make it work, um. It was, yeah,

01:33:34.569 - 01:34:25.799

basically them not having workers. would have liked to have the farm workers union so that the workers go to the fields and the strike. Mhm So where did he go? OK, when Chavez came into town, we go see him and request that

01:34:26.729 - 01:35:02.290

our workers would ask him and he said something about. These workers are inside and we are you know one thing that I you know just this big fat farmers. I don't know. I know it's worth reading. Don't be put off by the fact that it's 700

01:35:02.290 - 01:35:23.009

pages long. A lot of people have written about the farm workers, and I think he writes about it with more. Understanding what was happening in the fields as opposed to, you know, in the pas. Um, he said that by the time the Watsonville strike happened, Chavez

01:35:23.009 - 01:36:46.870

no longer really had any contracts to speak up in the. Hi Have you been waiting for us. Watsonville. you know work for farmers who were selling, you know I I think there was an effort. Uh-huh. There

01:36:46.870 - 01:38:02.930

was something else that clicked and then now it's gone. Yeah, so it's 420 mg to do no workers that probably still come and live in the migra. Mhm. Farm worker. I think you know

01:38:02.930 - 01:38:33.459

there's something that I have. just that it was, I felt it was largely women that were there on the line and that was something I was interested in. I was in a group. Yeah you remember that. Yeah, I

01:38:33.459 - 01:39:21.120

guess. Shirley Munoz, the teacher that uh got kids to come to Calo Calo College to go to Watsonville Watsonville she got to go to Watsonville. They have their office, they have

01:39:21.120 - 01:39:53.629

no they have an office down there, it's right downtown and Shirley. It's the one that. Pull that over there so that was a teacher at the school. I was like I think you know of? Oh yeah, I can't remember who was a seniors. No,

01:39:53.669 - 01:41:09.979

I can't remember. I just remember that they were out there on the line? I don't think it's you know? I couldn't tell you. I don't remember President's Day, yeah. Oh yeah, you'd um

01:41:09.979 - 01:41:33.930

there were the kids were there to support their parents and. I think one in particular got angry that I was one of the students did, yeah, one of the ones that broke the Ford's window. I know there were a lot of broken marriages. I mean, I,

01:41:34.089 - 01:42:29.430

well, Gloria told me her marriage broke up. I'm sure there were a lot of others. Can you recall, you know, I know there was, of course, and then uh. The strike activity itself was strike activity, you know, the lines that weren't there. Did you know she

01:42:29.430 - 01:43:22.490

gave an interview where she says, you know, they, they deal with the men go to work, they come sit in front of the I know is that a cultural thing or is that everywhere all the time? It's all the time. Pretty. Or

01:43:22.490 - 01:43:41.200

for that matter, accepting leadership from women that they resented it. I think though it's more ingrained in the Hispanic culture that the women come home and take care of the house and the kids. I think I mean they're always in the kitchen. I mean, I like

01:43:41.200 - 01:44:00.799

being in the kitchen. It's nice and then it's where all the family is and they come and eat. That's all great, but I'm just saying I think it's more expected. Well, you know, you've seen Norma Rae, right? Hispanic you know that scene where she tells her

01:44:00.799 - 01:44:42.500

husband gets sore because you know she's not. Yeah. I think it was. She was taking him around introducing him to people and when they came back to her house, her husband came up to him and said, you know, brother, I don't want you to

01:44:42.500 - 01:45:52.520

take this the wrong way, but I can't have you driving around town with my wife. I mean, people are gonna talk. it's bad. Yeah, I was just talking to each other. Yeah, that was a you know it's like you know marriage would be breaking up. Uh,

01:46:06.220 - 01:46:45.979

you know, um, you know, I was so busy thinking about what's next. What's the strategy I wasn't that that would happen is that people show up and I'm. I wanted to be democratic when we had fundraisers and we were helping people, there

01:46:45.979 - 01:47:12.470

would be a raffle for rent money or for whatever that I feel now that I probably would have just given raffle tickets to, um, yeah, rather than everybody, but that's a little one. Well, you did a lot of those didn't you? I mean, every, every week

01:47:12.470 - 01:47:53.490

you would have little dinners that you do for people, yeah. Uh, where did you have those dinners? Um, oh, where was it? I seem to recall Pajaro. Where was it? Would that be at the at the church. I'm going. Yeah,

01:47:55.649 - 01:48:18.950

you had a you had a pretty big, didn't you? Yeah, I mean it was Santa Cruz and then I thought about it. All I know I was late to one of them and everything was in my car. I was late to one of them and everything

01:48:18.950 - 01:49:06.120

was in my car, so. I told you to come out. That sounds about right, but I, but I remember it. I mean you know people in town that you just sort of knock on a door and the person would do would you I mean you've been

01:49:06.120 - 01:49:44.370

there for several years. You wouldn't just go to someone's house and you know we have in our office for people or we were called. and so you know, they learned to listen and see what needed or needed so we

01:49:44.370 - 01:50:09.970

have different ways of getting the grapevine you out at the bank at all. No, we did the distribution, but you did it at the union hall yeah, somewhere you would do eggs, right? You raise money to buy eggs for people and other things, we, we had

01:50:09.970 - 01:51:11.560

other things like vegetables you'd get vegetables from the fields you'd have maybe from the food bank, no, we don't. But you know I. Ordered the stuff, yeah. I, I think I paid for it, but I can't remember a farmer. Were you wrong when this was going

01:51:11.560 - 01:51:41.729

on, you were in the Bay Area at that point, right? No, I never was my sister. Oh yeah, yeah, so I don't even know what we're talking about, yeah, because I had Amy so she was. Yeah. Yeah, so more so um. The day after we did

01:51:41.729 - 01:51:59.490

the uh so it's OK I I I'm really grateful.