00:00:00.150 - 00:00:57.909

Mhm, you could sense to me. Mhm OK, um. come or come. Oh. Well, she came walking across the border in Tijuana. When was that? 75 in 19751975. Um, were you born in Jalisco or Michoacan Michoacan? Why did you come to Watsonville? OK, what. My mama and

00:01:01.619 - 00:01:19.489

my grandmother, her mother was already there in Watsonville, her old and some of her sisters as well. Its amigos, and there was a bunch of people from Michoacan and also in Watsonville. There was a lot of people from Michoacan as well, like friends, family friends that

00:01:19.489 - 00:02:05.730

migrated there also. So it was a common place for me to go. Mhm. Um, Did you go to work at Watsonville Canning right away? Um, And they make Mm. was I think uh. 2 years later 2 years later. So what did you do

00:02:05.730 - 00:02:43.860

before then? she was just a stay at home mom. My dad was the one that was working. OK, so you were young when you came over, yeah. How old when you started working at the plant? She was 28, 28 mhm. Did your parents work in the

00:02:43.860 - 00:03:38.339

plant? My mama just her mother. Was she there during the strike? Uh, no, she had already passed away. She had already passed away. How did you like working there? Augusto porque. Comoteniamos la union is the nosyammava or senoria. The moses the Um, El plan medical motupavajai.

00:03:39.149 - 00:04:06.300

And she said she liked working there at the time because they had a union, so they went by seniority. And at the time my dad was also working there as well, so they had benefits 100% for them and all of their children as well. How many

00:04:06.309 - 00:04:29.899

kids at that time? You had 5, right? Yeah, no, at that time it was only 4. There's 6 of us all together, but at that time it was only 4. My two younger sisters weren't born until, are you in the movie? I don't maybe I remember

00:04:29.899 - 00:04:50.500

the kids running around. I remember yeah. That's mainly what I know about Chihuahuas what I saw in the movie. People talk about you too. Um, What job did your father do in the plant? Yeah, no, no, no, he didn't work there. It was just my her

00:04:50.500 - 00:05:14.540

mother. Oh, OK, I'm sorry, I misunderstood. Yeah, no, he was in the fields. OK, my dad, her husband, right, he worked he worked there, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, So he came the same time as you did. Yeah, her husband, he came in March and she came

00:05:14.540 - 00:05:44.899

like around July of the same year, so he was here probably like 4 or 5 months before. Now both of you, both you and Enrique were active in TDU. They were both active in TD. How did you get involved and why? 00, Joe got you involved,

00:05:53.100 - 00:06:33.339

uh-huh. So you knew Joe before you knew Frank Bartik. From Oh, OK. Oh no, um, um, around the same time, yeah, yeah. Why did you start going to meetings? Why did you get involved? Uh, was For. Vito de la custicosque la. They saw all of the

00:06:33.339 - 00:07:17.250

injustices that were being done by the company. Um, and pesar el primeano and Ogenaos. Uh, no que que contra congelado in the salario beneficios. In 1982, the company asked for a freeze. Mhm. And their wages. Uh entances. La Majooria de los travajadores botamosque vamosa darlela compania

00:07:17.790 - 00:07:36.339

is a chance to racino contimo travajado and that they uh that they voted and they agreed to give the company the freeze just so that they can. Have more of a. I guess margin, you know, so they can make more money, I guess I suppose so

00:07:36.339 - 00:08:24.190

they can maintain their position. Um and then in '85 when the contract was up, they asked for the another freeze in their page um proportion. Agains novas condos that they had by 1985 they had already, you know, they seen in '82 what the money that the

00:08:24.190 - 00:08:56.700

company made. They got machinery to make the employees obsolete and 80 people or so got laid off so they kind of figured if they did it again they were probably gonna get more machinery loss. Huh. And before and I'm assuming in '82, they would be able

00:08:56.700 - 00:09:20.440

to maybe take off like some of the food like from the line, like the broccoli and they take it back to the break and eat it, you know, with their meal. ja. I corridos companeras porques la encontre cominos impaso de Brooklyn lasacuaroles cargos questaban robando la

00:09:20.440 - 00:09:51.409

companer que product. Mm and then uh like two of their coworkers got fired and Margarita Pra yeah I talked to her, she told me about that and um. The una de la supervisoras is the um pass. coliflorado and parking lot or le que vaya car cauliflora

00:09:51.409 - 00:10:10.359

que one of the supervisors found a cauliflower on the floor probably from maybe one of the trucks that was bringing it in. And boss was the supervisor's name. She found it and she was taking it to her car. I'm assuming she thought it was OK to

00:10:10.359 - 00:10:40.659

take home and they as well. Who was that? Uh, she passed away. What was her name? P A Z. Yeah, I don't Don't know her, but I know Margarita. I talked to her, um. I want to um. Ask you what it was like. I've talked to

00:10:40.659 - 00:11:15.390

people who said that in the few months leading up to the strike. Things became very difficult in the plant. That uh they were running the line very fast that people were being fired for no reason el contratomoenbrero. Febres of Mayo Julio Augusto

00:11:15.390 - 00:11:36.840

is a re que sallimos aga esociete meses nomales faltava ellatigo paraquenoses tu via uh sindo travajamas. So that the contract ended in February, so from February to September before they went on strike, it seemed like all they needed was a whip. To try to keep them

00:11:47.599 - 00:12:11.820

keeping up with the pace that they wanted them torso. I cuandomoyastacior contraocitemeses and to seonia una supervisora conum reloi grand de la mano unmutetero er estegamba mosa tata cuarenta linns for mito she said that uh in the contract it was written that they were supposed to

00:12:12.030 - 00:12:39.530

cut 18 rolis per minute. But once it was expired that there was a supervisor literally over them with a stopwatch making them cut at least 40 per minute. So it more than doubled. Ioanovajara albanotalaora break they wouldn't let me go to the restroom until it was

00:12:39.530 - 00:13:12.369

time for the break. Yeah. A lot of people have told me this, yeah, um. I want to um Most of the people, most of the strikers that I've talked to. Um, including people who became very active. said they didn't have much to do with the union

00:13:13.130 - 00:13:31.739

until the strike. I think You and Guillermina Ramirez were probably the only two that I know of that I've talked to. That who try to be active in the union before the strike actually happened. Oh, a lot of the people you spoke to were not active

00:13:31.739 - 00:13:46.340

in the union, not, not until the strike. They became very active during the strike, but you know what people kept telling me is I would go down to the union hall and pay my dues, and that was it, you know, uh, I think Margarita said, you

00:13:46.340 - 00:14:17.799

know, when she was talking about uh. Richard King, she said we let him get away with murder. I think she was the one who said that. Um, there was no need for them to really be active in the union. Everything was fine. They were happy with

00:14:17.799 - 00:15:06.299

all the vacation with everything they had basically they were content. So it all started in '82 with the first freeze. But you became active. Um did you become active in 82? Was that when you got no. Uh, Guillermina pasamos boos. Porquesiva beer contrato. no bossess

00:15:06.299 - 00:15:25.729

travajadores para lox. Uh, so because, uh, the contract was gonna expire, so Hei and Nina, they started giving out flyers and basically giving out this is in 85. No, I'm 82, yeah, yeah, you were, you tried, you tried to stop the wage cut from from happening.

00:15:27.450 - 00:15:56.140

Quando yeah recha contra loainco estte nospoiamos safuera delcomedor a laura de lunchearles deciendo los travajadoremosa contrato porquenos sanquians the neo li lando todos los companeros. In 5 they would be outside of the break room letting the employee or the other their coworkers know that they were

00:15:56.140 - 00:16:40.719

gonna reject the proposal. Because of the stuff they were gonna start to. Take away Did you know Guil uh Guillaina very well? So. Hello. No, no cabarera is this uh uh Guillermina. Ramirez. Now, um, after the strike started, Um Yeah Remember there was a big rally.

00:16:40.739 - 00:17:10.689

It's in the movie on October 6th. Do you remember who spoke at the rally? the solidarity thing muchos and blow. Joe and Jose Lopez were really the only, but in the movie there's a woman speaking and nobody can tell me who she was translating for the

00:17:10.689 - 00:17:44.369

man you said Joe Lopez co-chairs of Teamsters you don't know who it was, yeah. Um, Joe told me that he was criticized because there weren't that you're going to put the movie on. We could, we could, yeah, let's let's move on. I don't wanna, you know,

00:17:44.609 - 00:18:06.699

there is a scene near the beginning where it shows a woman speaking. There was another woman named Esperanza as well. Esperanza Contreras. Oh yeah, I talked to her. This is not her speaking at the rally. She's got a very, I would recognize her, yeah, um, I,

00:18:07.140 - 00:18:28.459

I spoke to her sister too. She's. In the hospital she's had a stroke and she's very sick but Esperanza doing very well uh gave me a wonderful interview. Um, she talked about her 15 year old daughter sort of wrestling the cops billy club away from them,

00:18:28.500 - 00:19:07.880

you know, very proud, um. So, um, Were you when they had the court injunction? And people kept getting arrested or cited. Were you arrested at that time? No, no. You stayed out of trouble. Uh, amoso for loss you said that they were there but they had

00:19:07.880 - 00:19:33.329

a plan that the students were the ones that were gonna be the ones. Mhm Yeah, that, that's in the movie. I know that. Was that Jose Lopez's idea to have Jose Lopezlos. No, she doesn't know. Yeah, I talked to one of the students, um, and she

00:19:33.329 - 00:19:56.729

told me she was at Santa Cruz. She told me, you know. David, uh, W, right? Yeah, his, his, his wife is, uh, Carolina, uh, Martinez I talked to them, yeah, yeah, she, I talked to her more than him. But she told me that uh uh Jose

00:19:56.729 - 00:20:16.910

Lopez and Cruz Gomez went to see and talked about the strike and they said how can we help? and they said come down and get arrested. That was, that's what you can do. That's. Um, I wanted to ask about. I don't know if you remember or

00:20:16.910 - 00:20:43.619

not on October 15th. There was a big meeting and they elected a striker committee. Um, Because the union wasn't doing much of anything. Um, and Do you remember that meeting? Were you there? qui uh they made up what kind of committee. It was called the strikers

00:20:43.619 - 00:21:15.920

Committee, uh, I think Gloria was the, um, well, they weren't, it wasn't part of the local at that point, um, you know, people felt that there was no we literally live like. Across the street, like, so I wanted to ask you about that most of the

00:21:15.920 - 00:21:26.520

time that's why I do remember a bunch of the tear gas and you know, so I'm sure I was there, but um she said that most of the time that they would get together for whatever reason if it was just the the workers it was at

00:21:26.520 - 00:21:58.604

the house yeah. You didn't meet at the union hall. You would meet at people's houses. Richards. Because Richard King, who was a treasurer, um, he wanted to negotiate with the company so he would just tell the to the workers to just be patient and wait, just

00:21:58.604 - 00:22:18.729

wait to be patient and wait. So basically they had to do anything on their own after the strike started. Uh, and Richard King kind of disappeared. He wasn't around anymore. Um Did you, did people start meeting at the union hall just on their own, not reunion

00:22:18.729 - 00:22:56.219

meetings, but just because you wanted to do it, or did you just talk on the picket lines. Um, como Sergio Lopez Estavariacaconososa pollanos and toes, um, botamos parapora Sergio Lopez the secretario desorrero if for condoa salo Richard King. Yes, the Ipoa concerg silvamosala laya a junarnos

00:22:56.219 - 00:23:18.729

sala oficina pero logo tambienos pro ivieron quellano podiamosusarloicina polos de la union. So after they voted Sergio Lopez in that Richard King kind of disappeared, um, they started going to the to the union more often because Sergio was there but then the union prohibited them from

00:23:18.729 - 00:23:46.685

going to the union at all. You, I mean, you remember how could they see, uh, poo and sad los oslos de la union porquenos de que not poos a local and no demon noosamos pagando nostracota. with the union because they were telling them not that they

00:23:46.685 - 00:24:15.410

couldn't go but they were telling that they were paying their quotes so the union they were they should be allowed to go there. Impesadonnapoer nos restrictefoconom essao napoer capita un capitan and cada cuatro oras the the la de leste pick line. Isolament capitanolo choloicina Acer cafe

00:24:15.410 - 00:24:37.390

cafe paralasoras de los bugistas. That's why after that they started having captains at the picket lines every 4 hours and only the captain was allowed to go to the union hall to go for for whatever reason for coffee for whatever reason. Ilo una corte tambien and

00:24:37.390 - 00:25:11.569

tenia allaciad. Estenos dijo que no podemos estarloselistasenbola no poamos estarmas de cuatro guelistas juntos and toes eso tamio teliola union para decirnosquenopodiamoirrebola adentro de la union de loicina sinotenia mosque nadama cent albano. Oh, and there was a court order at the time that said that they

00:25:11.569 - 00:25:24.689

weren't allowed to be in groups of larger than 4. So then the union started to use that court order as saying that they couldn't, they could only go to the if they went to the union, it was only to go to the restroom or that was

00:25:24.689 - 00:25:52.390

it. Was the union hall covered by the court order? I didn't know that. It was a few blocks. No, I think they just use it as an excuse to prevent them from going, yeah, and this was right at the beginning of the strike then. Yeah, you

00:25:52.390 - 00:26:12.160

could. I wanna this is different from what other people have told me, so I wanna make sure I understand it, um. Some people tell me that the union hall was always full of people, at least a little bit later on. Um, Other people have told me

00:26:12.160 - 00:26:26.239

that. People didn't want to go to the union hall because they didn't feel comfortable there. That they preferred to talk in people's houses or in their picket lines. This is and this is not Sergio saying this. This is like, uh, strikers, you know, the women especially

00:26:26.239 - 00:27:05.290

felt that they weren't respected in the union hall and they felt more comfortable just talking about um. primeraque yes on the lao. Um, is the Mucha gentenosis andia conforme. Aden through the lab. De loicina de lao pero er and tambien porques. Empeo division entreloselistases on differentes

00:27:05.290 - 00:27:37.270

groups. Um, este Oscar Rios ella garron grouppo de gente. And gentequeos caros no loina de loss, she said there's like to be division amongst the the strikers and that man Oscar Rios, he had one group, you know, and most of the people that were here under,

00:27:37.310 - 00:28:14.224

I don't wanna say under his wing, but with him, they would only go to the union to nitpick and talk back to the representatives. I reso canesaronposatodosanos parafura pero yo travajava biencon Sergio Lopez conjofei o ipodia entos platiar conosablaeos main informamilo. But she, she got, she

00:28:14.224 - 00:28:33.375

had a good relationship with all of the people from the union, so they would kind of let her know what was going on and she would be the messenger that would relay that message to which, which people did you are you talking about people from the

00:28:33.375 - 00:29:14.319

union Sergio Lopez. Um, Cruz Gomez, Maria Bronte. Well, Cruz was not in the union. She was a Yeah, no, but that's the I know that Cruz got thrown out of the union hall, Cruz Gomez Maria Bronte, um no no que queer. Eerotropo

00:29:14.319 - 00:29:38.760

pardos del quiva con nos carrios. Oscar, I, I interviewed him. And he told me that. He tried to encourage people to use the union hall. He said, you know, you're paying for it, your dues money. It should be your union. You should not feel like you're

00:29:38.760 - 00:30:08.079

not welcome there. You should be able to go in there and use it, and if anybody tries to stop you, you should not let them do it. Um, But that it was still hard to get people to go. We see Oscar Riosque you wanted them to

00:30:08.079 - 00:30:27.729

or it seems like Oscar wanted them to confront the union representatives. That's why, uh, Amina Gustava mucholo that's why she didn't really like to listen to Oscar. Because he was more like confrontational and that's why she didn't like to listen to Oscar because he was more

00:30:27.729 - 00:31:03.920

confrontational than Gloria. Same thing with Gloria. I'm not sure her last name, but that that she would just wanna go as well and just be confrontational with the union reps and. Well, she didn't. Um, You became a union representative after the strike, didn't you? Didn't you

00:31:03.920 - 00:31:40.550

go to work for the Teamsters? Yeah, for local 890, yeah, for Frank Gallegos. Yeah. How long did you do that? There's the 2008. 7 or 8 years, uh, about 12 years, from '96 to 2008. Yeah, uh, well, Oscar was also an organizer for Loca at 90.

00:31:40.589 - 00:32:02.780

That's what he's doing now, you know. Yeah, I mean I know several people who did that. I talked to Sheri Tang. She was working for 890 for a little while. Do you remember her? Sheri Sheri Tan, yeah she was Chinese. She spoke fluent, she spoke good

00:32:02.780 - 00:32:24.609

Spanish, but he didn't know her. She actually was one of the people who told me to be sure to talk to you and you were one of the more important people. She said, be sure to talk to Esperanza Torres. Mhm. She told me that there was.

00:32:26.369 - 00:32:48.719

A group of about 40 or 50 women strikers who really hold everything together. Uh, she mentioned you, she mentioned Gloria, she mentioned, you know, the Contreras, sisters, um, who else did she mention? Uh, Lydia, I talked to her, um, she said that. You know, there was

00:32:48.719 - 00:33:21.619

a group of women who were very active and that without you. None of this would have none would have happened, you know. It canbienna via unrupo de hombres perrorupo de hombresseocupava maen and that the perciendo alos um. Because the symbals. there was also a group of

00:33:21.619 - 00:33:46.900

men that their primary responsibility was to kind of chase away the people that would come to work in the cannery during the strike. I want to talk to you about that too. Um, yeah, um, do you remember Manuel Diaz? Yeah, did you, do you remember his

00:33:46.900 - 00:34:13.270

mother, Reyna? Oh yeah, yeah, did you know her very well? Um. No, she, yeah, Guillermina talked about her, um, she was from San Jose. Uh, she worked with uh rasasi in San Jose and From what I, I mean, she passed away a few years ago. Um,

00:34:13.560 - 00:34:51.849

but she. Came over from San Jose every time she could, you know, and we talk to the, the women especially, um, that was Manuel's mother. She was a cannery worker in. Um, You don't remember her. Yeah, you remember Manuel though. But yeah, no, no, she's at

00:34:51.849 - 00:35:06.389

the Rena that she knew was another woman that also passed away from cancer. Oh, that would be Reyna Guzman. I worked at the the uh the food bank. In the food bank, yeah, I think so we're talking about the same person, yeah, yeah, OK, no, um,

00:35:06.600 - 00:35:36.540

she was a striker, um, Reyna Diaz was um. She did immigrant rights, immigrant rights work, she was Manuel's mother, yeah. Yeah, I know, I know Reyna Guzman. She worked with the food with Lydia in the food bank. I want to ask about you mentioned. Manuel called

00:35:36.540 - 00:35:55.300

them the scab hunts, you know, when you go out, you follow the buses out of town and. Um, Esperanza Con concerns told me some good stories and sort of taking off your jacket and your baseball cap, so they couldn't find her, uh. Do you, did you

00:35:56.760 - 00:36:14.800

And then uh I guess she told me that she went on one and then when she came home, she and her husband had a big screaming and he didn't want her doing that. Did you um can you tell me about this? You don't have to, you

00:36:14.800 - 00:36:50.000

know. It's the ayen la casa serenia los sombres come to papa. Been conus chamara jeos de piedras is the conreorteras is avianals a rival sundo pio and to the ayada riva aventtaban las piedra so conuna uh carabina the postas quebraban los vidrios the Uh-huh, like the,

00:36:50.080 - 00:37:02.610

the men would come because like I said we'd live directly in front of the, the cannery, so they would come with my dad, her husband. Uh, with their pockets full of rocks and slingshots and pellet guns, and they would go to the second floor of the

00:37:02.610 - 00:37:28.300

house and just break the window, yeah. I como tenia kina la casa tenia entrada porlawalqueri la cincoca and toes cuando yama la policia quenosotrosamus que la policia egava eos salamporatra ica parala Rodriguez and since there was uh the house was in the corner and there was

00:37:28.300 - 00:37:42.810

an entrance to coming in from Walker, which is directly the street that the county was on and the 5th Street. That when they would see the police would come after getting called that they would exit on the 5th Street side and just go to Rodriguez Street

00:37:42.810 - 00:38:10.250

without being seen coming out of the house so that way they wouldn't get. Caught by the police. If uh. And la noches to papa junto contro de los buelistas cemetia marados de panza orravajo de la labrado de la Canaria conunas pinsas is even cortadolos carles de

00:38:10.250 - 00:38:41.760

los carlos. My dad and a couple other men from they would go underneath the fence to the cannery and cut wires to some of their cars, I guess. I don't have to write about it's fun to hear you talk about it. Yeah, logo demoso tambien vines

00:38:41.760 - 00:39:17.530

versus er mario tam o mujeres esperanza contrerasios is the a capa. Por el vein sema est um are you el puente queseque I yariva passel trend. And to losiamos ayen el puente porqueporapasaa el vasquevenia de jali terrica contolos carlos quelosian de todo los queteria travajara perla

00:39:17.530 - 00:39:40.899

elga you know sotrosayariva and la via del trelos esavamosidayavelesaventa molas piedrasatosquelos virios awesome. That they would go there because they were they were the scabs, I guess would come from Hollister in the in the in the bus followed by all of the other workers that they

00:39:40.899 - 00:39:51.419

would come in their cars so they would just follow the bus and I guess they found the route that they would take which is 129 and they were there was a bridge on top of that way and they would stand up on the railroad tracks and

00:39:51.419 - 00:40:07.310

then when they would see the bus pass by her and a couple of the, you know, my dad and other men and some other women. They would go up there and throw objects. Yeah, I actually read about that, you know, one bus driver described being ambushed,

00:40:07.469 - 00:40:25.879

you know, somebody stopped their car in front of him so he couldn't move, and then, you know, everybody came out of the bushes and started throwing things. So there were women who did that. It wasn't, it wasn't just the man. People used to talk about, uh,

00:40:25.889 - 00:40:43.620

yeah, that she would kind of put paint her face black and go out at night. I mean, talk about somebody who likes to fight. She scared me a little when I interviewed her. Um, she's vice president of the union now, isn't she, or she was vice

00:40:43.620 - 00:41:17.899

president, yeah, yeah, um. So I wanted to ask you. When the union election came up and Richard King said he was not going to run again. Um, do you remember any of the meetings, the discussions? I know that your dad ran, uh, with Jose Lopez. Do

00:41:17.899 - 00:41:57.280

you remember the discussions about how to get out. de loss. No, but no masquelamos. Essa Sergio Lopez um, Richard King never said he wasn't gonna run that he just got voted out. And that's when Sergio got voted in, yeah, yeah. Um, Well, I, Gloria's brother uh

00:41:57.280 - 00:42:24.060

was originally going to run against, and then he changed his mind at the last minute. Armando Morales. Gloria. Oh yeah, did you know him? Did you know him well, yeah. Um, Joe Fay told me that he was concerned about him because he didn't think he. was

00:42:24.060 - 00:42:53.600

a strong enough candidate. Uh, to, uh. To challenge Sergio, not that he wasn't popular, not that he couldn't have gotten the votes, but he didn't have you don't know why he didn't feel confident. Well, I, I can tell you what I heard. Uh, Alexi, do you

00:42:53.600 - 00:43:19.580

remember him? Did you know him at all? Alex Alex Alexa, yeah, he was sent in by the Teamsters Union to keep an eye on the strike. And he was concerned that The international union would not continue to support the strike, so he, he tried to sort

00:43:19.580 - 00:43:59.300

of make it easier for them to support the strike. Um, he thought that it would be easier for them to support it if Sergio was in charge rather than Armando, so he persuaded Armando not to run. Oh, so. Uh, no, man, uh, personas. The que no

00:43:59.300 - 00:44:25.409

quetai condo ubuno ferta de contrato. era la ultimoun quetenia queyadia paralante no nosi polo ion. And so the international sent someone to let them know that they should take that offer because that might be the last offer that was that was yeah that was at the

00:44:25.409 - 00:44:51.939

end of the strike that would be John Blake. Yeah, um, The International sent some people into Watsonville actually. in May or June of '86. Uh And they sort of camped out in the union hall. Sergio did not like them. Uh, he thought they were trying to

00:44:52.270 - 00:45:36.129

undermine him. Oh, quenoe says lamandos mundo gente quesad a la que quelos que questa. If esquenosotros pensaamos tambienaler persona queegava del Internacional puesque benni and yappara ayudars a pollar nosa a regularesteel problema porque la gente tambien stamosansado si esperava mosque. Well, they thought at the time

00:45:36.129 - 00:45:53.429

that when the unions, the uh international sent those, you know, people over to help them, that they were gonna help them. Um, Yeah what they were asking because they were tired they were, you know, of everything it was weighing them down so they thought that they

00:45:53.429 - 00:46:26.360

were gonna help Sergio. Mhm Yeah. It's is my Mica. How are you, Laura. Um, It's funny, I mean. There was a lot of tension, you probably know all about this, um, within inside the union, people were always, you know, competing against each other. Um, Sergio didn't

00:46:26.360 - 00:46:56.030

like the people the international sent in. Uh, some of the people in the local didn't like him. I mean, it was like, uh, yeah, everybody was sort of sergio. Yeah, anyway, um. I wanted to ask about After Richard King Stepped down and Sergio took over the

00:46:56.030 - 00:47:24.389

union. Do you remember him meeting out at the fairgrounds at the county fairgrounds where he talked about what was going to happen in the strike at the very beginning of 1986. OK, yeah, I should remember. Yeah, what happened at that meeting, you remember it? Um, Mhm.

00:47:33.840 - 00:48:00.679

OK. That's my son-in-law. Hi, how are you doing? You don't really remember the meaning. You just remember que companeras resendo la gente. Do you remember hearingermina they were like welcoming the people that were coming in and stuff like that, but they don't really remember what the

00:48:00.679 - 00:48:32.699

topics were um. What happened is that I guess I brought a leaflet with me. Um, This is in English. I don't have a Spanish version of it, but um. This leaflet came out. Before Richard Shaw settled. Um, there was an attempt to get a big group

00:48:32.699 - 00:49:37.310

going and unite everybody. Your name is not on there, but a bunch of other people. OK. Pussy? No. No, they seem de la. I think Uh, plan laga mantenernos unidos todos sals the way that they're gonna win the

00:49:37.310 - 00:50:06.969

strike and you know they were just reinforce the fact that they had to stay united inquest via la la. I via iba er una junta de los de la ciudad uh yensonville is the enestas juntas nos deci and bamosaira la iudad junta paraquelos politicos de la

00:50:06.969 - 00:50:25.479

ciudadonerlespression tambien paraqueo subligara al norcal paraque negociara. So they were just basically inform them of like if there was gonna be courts or anything going on of what they their obligations or you know that they should do as far as you know go to the town

00:50:25.479 - 00:50:45.530

meetings and put pressure on the city council so they can put pressure on Norco or. Mhm, basically just inform them of the upcoming events that they would need to go to, but there was a group. It didn't last very long. It started at the beginning of

00:50:45.530 - 00:51:07.300

1986 and then when Richard Shaw settled. There was that big demonstration. Everybody was, you know, fighting with the police, and then people went down and they vandalized, you know, stories on Main Street, and then you don't hear anymore about that group after that. It was on

00:51:07.300 - 00:51:34.909

Main Street. The demonstration It was on Main Street. The demonstration. Well, that it it it didn't start out there. It was supposed to go there, I think it was a rally at the plant. And don't say you know que nomosjuntoscainando estte comoasel parkque uh. To, um,

00:51:34.919 - 00:52:02.949

they would have rallies and you know things like this where they would meet somewhere and then they to demonstrate their strength they would walk certain places like they, you know, this particular time they walked to Callahan Park, you

00:52:02.949 - 00:52:29.800

know, um. And the, you know, the motorcycle police would come and the, you know, stuff like that instantly, um. Do you remember the rally on February 17th where it started to rain very hard and the police broke it up? Do you remember that day? Tell me

00:52:29.800 - 00:53:08.070

about it. Yeah. Uh, Mm. Estenos for agenlolacorte tambienosaviola or the quenopodiamos uh cruzar sinoten nostoca delturno deerel pick and line no podiamos estara uh uerra de la Copana. And toes and and. And it's a junta no deerron ok bamosa caminar or la gualque bamosa romperla lake

00:53:08.070 - 00:53:34.169

la rela quela corten nosaado. no uh-huh no uh well, I guess it was a court order that says that unless you were part, like if it was your turn to be on the picket line, they were prohibited from being on the sidewalk on the cannery, but

00:53:34.169 - 00:53:50.270

on that meeting on February 17th when it was raining, they decided that they were gonna break. The court order and demons and walk, you know, down Walker Street and that's when the um the tear gasses, you know, came down and they started throwing the tear gas

00:53:50.270 - 00:54:23.300

and the motorcycle police started coming and and then they cleaned out the union hall too and they throw tear gas into the union hall. Setantamos I think it was the police that were like in riot gear. They were, they formed a wall and they

00:54:23.300 - 00:54:37.550

just kept walking towards them, so they had no choice but to walk backwards and they kind of there were so many people that there was like a, you know, maybe 3 street lengths. You know, on the, uh, 3, there were so many people of them that

00:54:37.550 - 00:55:14.449

there was probably about 3 street lengths full of them, so they just kept going back and back and back until they got to the union. Yeah So they're basically just funneling them back sach throw the tear gas back yeah yeah yeah. That I do remember. Was

00:55:14.449 - 00:55:49.080

anybody hurt that day that you know? Mm. You were never arrested during the strike then. No, my dad was your dad was just defying the injunction and um a little capitan deurno de Ocho de la de la noche entes uh la policia mas cars pajacentodo estamos

00:55:49.080 - 00:56:25.300

uh. Mirmana Conchole contras companeras paradas and leskina de la. La Cincos on the viviajuan ala sali la Puerta de la Canaria it to papa and trouturno Ievava una jara de cafe paradarles salasquestaban. Uh, yes, my dad was the captain of, uh, the 8 p.m. to midnight

00:56:25.300 - 00:56:41.300

shift for the picket line and the day that he got arrested, he was coming out from it well my mom. And a couple of her sisters, my aunts, they were out there as well, giving them coffee and whatnot, and when my dad was going to join

00:56:41.300 - 00:56:54.209

the picket line for his shift, uh, he took a A thermos of coffee to get to some of the people that were in the picket line and before he even got there, the, the police just without reasoning or anything they just handcuffed him and took him

00:56:54.209 - 00:57:26.169

in. All the stuff they could have busted him for and they picked on him for that, yeah. Did they think he was going to hit somebody with that thermos or what? And that there was about 5 women at that point when they seen that happen and

00:57:26.169 - 00:57:55.040

they went straight to the union and they let them know that they had that he had been arrested. When did this happen? No, she doesn't remember. Um, I actually, um, Gloria said something to me. That I thought was interesting, she said. Just because you're Catholic doesn't

00:57:55.040 - 00:58:11.830

mean you can't throw rocks at the scabs. Um, I got, and she also told me that she was arrested early in the strike until people told her, you know, you're not doing any good in jail, you know, it's important not to get arrested. Sounds like you

00:58:11.830 - 00:59:10.350

already understood that que ques piss rose as the genre. You. Are you. Poss. No, she didn't feel she didn't feel condemned not to throw rocks or. OK. You just didn't get caught. Inclusal of the launion que que paramoses so the star quebradovidrio sitodo eso porque eso

00:59:10.350 - 00:59:38.179

loquenos dean. and the union did let them know that they wanted them to stop break, you know, basically vandalizing and stuff like that because it wasn't helping the cause and to do that, but I'm sure they just took it on their own initiative. It, uh, incluso

00:59:38.179 - 01:00:11.489

unos de los queer. Um, is the cuandolosaarnaos la union said deligo complementedoque porque esuvianariva de lossarboles de losinos ecuando pasaan los vases connos esquiroles eolesa aventabam bombass que preparadon and boas aiongas. The firebomb right that Gloria has been through, I guess they were lined up at

01:00:11.489 - 01:00:32.739

a park which is, so the union basically washed their hands from those people saying that they had nothing to do with those people. I want. Make sure I understood correctly what you just said. You were saying with the union told people that vandalism was not helping

01:00:32.739 - 01:01:08.939

the cause, yeah, yeah. Did you agree? A laga on Ques quesosquela poyavas la esola decision eso. Um, See porque que tela union not 10 dinero paraa asa Carlos de la Carelinos perjudi cavaloselgistas yeah, she understood that because the union didn't have the money to go bail

01:01:08.939 - 01:01:35.110

them out once they were in jail and they were doing no good in jail. A contrala union and she understood the political part that they could. Put a demand or a lawsuit against the union. Saying that if the union, um. Was backing the, you know, the

01:01:35.110 - 01:02:03.810

strikers to vandalize the union can get in trouble themselves questamos and la casa queto de las pre queer moser precalcque but one thing that she would inform them when they would have their meetings at the house, not at the union. That they have to take precautions

01:02:03.979 - 01:02:44.979

to make sure that whatever it is they're doing that they try not to get themselves caught. It's your house, yeah, yeah, yeah. You I can actually ask you this, um. Your dad is quoted in the newspaper as saying that, you know, my kids can't even play

01:02:44.979 - 01:03:01.199

in their front yard anymore because of the injunction. What was it like? I mean, to sort of living right within the injunction area, I mean, could you come and go as you please, I remember when I was a kid. We had tents in the front yard

01:03:01.570 - 01:03:13.229

and we had a big couple big trees directly on the big yard and I remember I would climb the tree because that was, you know, so I can have the high view and see and I would always see policemen with the riot gear on so and

01:03:13.229 - 01:03:25.469

I remember like I said, when they threw tear gas and stuff and I was right in the front yard, um. I remember seeing my parents, you know, not just them, but I, I mean they obviously stand out because they were my parents that they wouldn't eat

01:03:25.469 - 01:03:37.270

because they were also, you know, going through hunger strikes and stuff like that, you know, I wanna talk about the hunger strikes, you know, that's what I remember. So no, it wasn't really a place ideal for children. When were you evicted? You, you, you had to

01:03:37.270 - 01:04:03.139

move out, right. In Octo October of '86 October. Where did you go? Oh la casa, it was on the same street, I think it was 4th Street or 6th Street. It well it was the same street, but it was on the opposite end, so we were

01:04:03.139 - 01:04:24.840

no longer on Walker Street. But we were on the opposite end. So it was only just you found another house yeah uh-huh, yeah, somebody told me you were in a trailer, but I guess that wasn't right. No, OK, yeah, that's why it's good to ask the

01:04:24.840 - 01:04:38.939

same question to different people and get different stories, um, so you just moved to another house. Were you, you were renting the house that you were from and just got behind in the. Um, Your dad has that, you know, he says there are so many holes

01:04:38.939 - 01:04:56.659

on the floor of this place. I worry about losing one of my kids if they fall. That that's one of the more memorable watching that movie for me and this little girl sort of playing around. How old were you? I must have been like 6, yeah.

01:05:00.989 - 01:05:42.629

Um, Did you go to the meeting where they talked about this the Richard Shaw settlement? Were you there? What do you remember? when they accepted, yeah, when the Shah people agreed to go back to work uh the. Lo queo records queer la erta

01:05:42.629 - 01:06:07.739

questabandandolesallos de la richa er puestodo nootros noqueria mosque lacerta orquesqueria mosqueto de lasertuvieramos and la elga paraque she remembers that the that the they got offered. They didn't want them to accept it because they were hoping that this all the candidates were kind of stick together

01:06:10.260 - 01:06:39.239

and they were the same pay and the same but then they voted and they accepted what they got offered. Do you think Once Richard Shaw settled. That it was still possible to keep there from being. Concessions, wage cuts at other plants. I don't know if I

01:06:39.239 - 01:07:17.919

put that very well. Jeresque conduct the neos er contrato ese la fritasa que. That once they once they after Shaw settled, the union went around and got to settle for the 55 so everybody had to take a pay cut, not just Richard Shaw. Um. Did you,

01:07:18.090 - 01:07:44.770

I mean. The meeting at Shaw, people told me it got very people got very angry, you know, and then they they took all the Watsonville Canning people and told you to leave. Only Shaw strikers were allowed in the room. Do you remember that? Did you, did

01:07:44.770 - 01:08:29.129

you speak up during that meeting did you what did you say uh was uh. Lo queo merecuerdo queles dilos companeros de quenoa taranese contrato. is the porquetando esse contrato puestoda la porqueles aceta contrato conuna redu de salario. But she just remembers telling them that they shouldn't

01:08:29.129 - 01:08:40.529

accept that offer because they were they were gonna take a pay cut and b if they settle for that that they were gonna basically that was gonna be the first time that was gonna fall and everybody else was either gonna get offered the same thing or

01:08:40.529 - 01:09:21.200

have to accept the same offer. Mhm. Did you get a, um, why do you think they went back to work. Uh, wando. You have lava con conosos de queer lomo uh-huh she said when she spoke to those people, to the Cannes people, that they didn't have

01:09:21.200 - 01:09:47.719

the same problems as bad as they had. I think Chevello said that too, that the conditions were much worse in Watsonville County. You were more badly treated. Whobelo. But um. The other thing I heard, I think this is Frank Barnake who said this. That a lot

01:09:47.719 - 01:10:11.529

of the workers that Richard Shaw were from out of town, they, they didn't live in Watsonville. So they didn't have to face their neighbors if they went back to work and Watson in Watsonville. So I don't know even congente. Do you think there's anything to that?

01:10:25.240 - 01:11:00.629

Um, no, you don't think it made a difference. No, OK, no, it's implemented. Colo. Una que your recordo de la richa. Sama Paula, um. Questaban in terresados. And benefici she said that one of the one person that specifically that she does remember her name was Paula.

01:11:01.520 - 01:11:31.359

Oh yeah yeah that she let her know that they weren't interested. In benefits and stuff like that that they just basically want to return to work, yeah. And I'm sure since they had been mistreated worse, they probably wanted to hold out for more. Sergio said something

01:11:31.359 - 01:11:47.890

to me. I get your reaction to this. He said that he thought that the union gave up too much, at Richard Shaw. That um He had offered 666 an hour at the beginning of the strike, and then after they'd been on strike for 5 months, it

01:11:47.890 - 01:12:07.379

got cut down to 585. Um So they were making, they might, they could have just accepted it and avoided the strike at the beginning and wound up making more money. Um, the principio Sergio Serves, uh-huh Sergio, well, he didn't say the last part, and he said

01:12:07.379 - 01:12:55.879

that he thought that the union gave up too much. I mean I don't believe he said anything like that was. The contrato. In toes counotamosel congelaino del contrato cuando fumo agarrare. El Cheque And and we trocheque de pago graparron la compania elcheque de de la cota

01:12:55.879 - 01:13:20.319

de la union de queya de ok el que queraunion no porqueos automaticamente mandaban los pagosalon inos regresado el pagoya de semere that the reason that they. Actually went on strike was because they they don't wanna accept the freeze and the pay and when they went to

01:13:20.319 - 01:13:36.839

go pick up their last check that there was a paper staple or that wasn't a it was a check staple to the actual paycheck and that it was a union dues saying that if that's right Richard Shaw wasn't gonna, yeah, I forgot all about that gracias.

01:13:36.890 - 01:14:05.589

I'd forgotten saying that if they wanted to come back to work they were gonna be without a union. That was probably dumb of him to do that thinking about it, he might have avoided the strike if he hadn't. That's when they got out of work and

01:14:05.589 - 01:14:22.790

that's when they seen that and they all just went from there directly to the union that makes sense. That makes a lot of. Um, Were you involved at all with the Crosetti contract? I know that it's in the movie. You see some, some, some workers from

01:14:22.790 - 01:14:54.850

Watsonville Canning telling the Crosetti workers not to sell. I think Esperanza Contreras is there. Were you there too? Did you go to those meetings? Yeah. Did you speak up? Tambien. Uh, nootros de la de la Caniavievamosalla juntas de la sutras can parapedirles ella pollo tambienelas porquelugo

01:14:55.879 - 01:15:30.314

sereo unfondo. The que cadaelgistadierraundola no cadaelgista caramiro de loondiera undolar queva seva rear unfundo paraquero estesilliara parauda de loselistas yeah. Um, so that part of the reason that they would go to the other cannery meetings so they can ask for help, not um support basically and

01:15:30.314 - 01:15:45.850

then they started a fund where every union member would give a dollar and that fund was gonna go help pay, you know, when someone would be handing whatever bill elec you know, electricity bill, rent, whatever it may be. So that was attend. I was in charge

01:15:45.850 - 01:16:17.029

of responsibility. I wouldn't want. There were so many people who needed help to decide, you know, who needed it more. Yeah, exactly. It's amazing that people didn't wind up hating him. Good thing he was such a nice

01:16:17.029 - 01:16:37.649

guy. Um, so, but you did, you went to the Crosetti meetings and you told them not to accept the contract, um. They put up quite a fight there. Uh, why do you think they were? Why was Crosetti uh able to put up more resistance and say

01:16:37.649 - 01:17:11.290

Richard Shaw for instance Richard. Mm. No. No. OK. is the encada class the personas. It just depends on the people, yeah. Did you know people at Crocetti very well? Oh sips esperanza seja madrina Rosa her my older sister and godmother. So Esperanza is my older sister's

01:17:11.290 - 01:17:53.200

godmother and she works there or worked there. And she was one of the people who tried to stop that contract from going through. Were they? Surprised when they were locked out yeah yeah they they didn't expect to be out of work. They just

01:17:53.200 - 01:18:26.509

wanted the negotiations to continue. Uh-huh yeah, mhm. Now I'm gonna tell you something. Uh, Sergio didn't know this either. Um, The man from the Western Conference of Teamsters John Blake. He met with Crissetti and he told him. If you lock the workers out. They will accept

01:18:26.509 - 01:18:50.169

the settlement. Nobody knew about this, but there was a memo that I saw. His name was John Blake Blake, uh, he was from the the Teamsters International and He wanted to. He actually encouraged the company to lock the workers out so that the workers would reconsider

01:18:50.169 - 01:19:20.330

their decision to reject, you know, the, the agreement dijo quelos era. I my heart, what would it do? Well. You know, all the workers wanted, as I understand it, they just wanted the negotiation to continue. Um, and Blake was determined that they settled for 585, so

01:19:20.330 - 01:19:54.839

he went to the company and said just lock them out for a couple of weeks and they'll come around. Yeah, I found a document which says this. I showed it to Sergio, and he was very, very upset by it. Yeah, you know, I don't, you know,

01:19:54.850 - 01:20:11.470

he didn't know anything about it. Um, to me. You don't have to deprive people of two weeks' worth of pay just to make a point, you know, it was really very heavy handed, you know, the way he handled it. You could argue that they needed to

01:20:11.470 - 01:20:36.069

settle for 585 for whatever reason, but to actually encourage the company to lock workers out. Not my idea of unionist. Anyway, I'm just sharing that with you. Um, so I want to. What I really want to talk to you about is the hunger strike. You remember

01:20:36.080 - 01:21:19.609

it, yeah, um, where did that idea come from? No the the nocomer. Oh, Um, For tambienesque. You got on a Uh, propoernoselulla ultima negociacion con la compania nosierron quera la ultima queano even ascernada maselos pornosotros quesiqueiamos aarlesinoyamosa contiorla welga nootro solos. But you remember that same

01:21:19.609 - 01:21:39.359

John John Blake came and he basically gave him an ultimatum saying that this is the last negotiation that we're gonna be with you guys with and if you guys reject it, you guys are gonna be on strike on your own. Mhm. Yeah, and the sa junta

01:21:51.379 - 01:22:14.240

salindo is the uh gloriaanurdijoque ambre los quequierra and participar. And then after that meeting, coming out of that meeting, Gloria Bancourt said, OK, well we're gonna go on a hunger strike. Whoever wants to participate. You can participate. Who participated? Jenny can participate. Gloria Van Esperanza Contreras

01:22:16.540 - 01:22:52.870

Reina. Reyna Guzman. Esperanza's sister, Anita Anita. Um, And you. they were sick and her and um there's actually a picture of Cherie in the in the tent with you uh and also uh. I guess a guy who worked in the food bank, I

01:22:52.870 - 01:23:08.930

forget his name, they called him Poncho. Get a photo de contigo and Sharif. Yeah, you look at the food bank. What do we call him? Well, he was, I, I, I talked to him briefly. I think his name was Francisco. All the women called him Poncho.

01:23:10.629 - 01:23:36.970

Oh, I think he drove a forklift or something or you know, in the plant. I Where was the where did the, what about Maria Corralejo? Was she there? She was not a striker. She was she was, she was, um, somebody told me it was her idea

01:23:36.970 - 01:24:11.049

to have the hunger strike. She worked for a social service agency in OK, and her as well, and her as well, yeah, yeah, um. What was it like? I mean, you, you did that for 5 days, right? You went without food. See, yeah, about a week

01:24:11.049 - 01:24:31.910

or so and you, you pitched your tent right in front of the plant. it was, yeah, I was at the house right there that we did yeah. Um, Did you decide, did you have a meeting at Aurora Trujillo's house before you set the tent up. I

01:24:31.910 - 01:24:53.109

wanted to ask about her. I know she worked at Richard Shaw, but she continued to help you after they went back to work. I heard that she, she also lived right across from the plant you knew her, right? No, I don't, um. And she was arrested

01:24:53.109 - 01:25:21.200

on her front porch. I remember somebody telling me that. Do you remember that? Do you remember what happened exactly? No, yeah, um, early in the strike. Why would they arrest her on her front porch there. She was a confrontational person. I'm not well, she was a

01:25:21.200 - 01:26:06.339

very strong willed person and confrontational. She spoke before the city council, didn't she? Uh, demos launsquenos the support group they had from the community was the people that would kind of prep them when they were gonna go speak. Um, Cruz Gomez, El Maestro Frank.

01:26:07.819 - 01:26:38.399

Um Maria Bronte. You know Maria Bronte. I know Cruz. I talked to her. Uh, yeah, that's I think it's uh. She thinks that they're friends. She believes that they're friends. OK, what was the other one's name? Maria Bronte Maria. How well do you know Cruz. But

01:26:38.399 - 01:27:17.830

like yeah yeah la cono porque travaja travaja ala comunida dewasonville and projecto the Hm, they said. She said that she knew her from the she was part of a group, a community group. Oh, the, the onepara. Um, the,

01:27:17.839 - 01:27:33.939

the anti, uh, even before the strike the Rodriguez. And she would basically help, you know, she had an office kind of on the same street where we lived, and she would help them fill out paperwork or basically anything that they would need or help have questions

01:27:33.939 - 01:28:08.589

on. No uh conda food bank er active la. Did she help you at all when you were evicted? Q. No, I got the impression a lot of what she was doing during the strike would be to try to help people. Who were Facing eviction, you know,

01:28:09.049 - 01:28:40.870

I saw a leaflet that she passed out just telling you all the things you should do if you get into. I didn't bring it with me, but. But come up tempo. Yeah, she just, well, she personally didn't think about asking them for help

01:28:40.870 - 01:29:05.109

when we got the eviction. Uh, pero loque tubaudandolos erco matodolos queerestar and la demanda contrela ciudad. Uh she does remember that she helped people when they would get arrested with the um lawsuit against the city. Yeah, I've heard something about that that that came the lawsuit

01:29:05.109 - 01:29:34.060

was a little later, right? Somebody told me it was after the strike. Were any strikers involved in that? La la la. See that your dad was one of them, yeah, um. You know, somebody, I think it might have been Joe Fay, he said that mainly it

01:29:34.060 - 01:30:20.399

was supporters rather than strikers who were part of that lawsuit. your dad was there no that there was strikers. Do you remember who they were. I know that my dad for sure, yeah, yeah, so they have meetings for uh for the lawsuit that she remembers going

01:30:20.399 - 01:30:41.220

with my dad and she would see Cruz Gomez there. She was she would see Cruz there, uh-huh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, I wanted to ask about You know, when, when it became clear that Watsonville Canning was not going to make it, and the company was failing.

01:30:42.709 - 01:31:02.359

Um, before David Keel came up and said he was going to buy the plant. How did you all, you didn't just want the plant to shut down and leave everybody without jobs. How did you? How are people looking at that? This was before the truck was

01:31:02.359 - 01:31:22.939

over, uh, yeah, this was like after you, well, let me, let me back up a little. Let's forget that question for a moment. The the big vote where you voted to keep the union in the summer of '86, the recertification vote. Do you remember that? Were

01:31:22.939 - 01:31:51.629

you one of the people who went down to the union hall to do the phone banking to get people to turn out turn out the vote? Tell me about that. How much time did you spend down there? Um, Well what is the Unme condo los de

01:31:51.629 - 01:32:30.509

lo que estoferta porqueviavidocommotra dostreo ferta Sans pero nos dean los de loon bamosa tratar deseirnegoando paraverillograban conseirest the pueblo de quelos beneficio sequeda or quera lo queeliavamos. duo que las beneficios and then she's talking about something different about the health benefits, right? Yeah, well, she's talking,

01:32:30.640 - 01:33:07.759

yeah, no, but it's my fault. I kind of mess up the time through the questions. We were talking about the end of the strike and I moved back 5 months, you know, um. It was just all day and night they were just they were calling

01:33:07.759 - 01:33:41.569

yeah yeah. I think uh Lydia Lama told me she was in the union hall 3 hours a night. For 2 weeks before that vote just on the phone. Um, Did you Know anybody who came back from Mexico for that vote. No, yeah, I knew that people

01:33:41.569 - 01:34:12.779

have told me that there were maybe several dozen people who had actually left the country and gone to Mexico uh to wait out the strike, and then they came back on. But like I said, no, I always, I remember at the time I was very impressed.

01:34:14.060 - 01:34:36.859

That people Understood that that vote was so important that they would travel several 100 miles just to cast their ballots. Um, you know, whether it was from the San Joaquin Valley or from Texas or, you know, people were going back to er on the Mexico the

01:34:36.859 - 01:35:02.359

tes. Nobody can tell me who, who they were. I just know that they were. Many people had left town right at that point, they were not looking for work elsewhere, yeah, but they came back with the vote, but they came so you were making phone calls

01:35:02.359 - 01:35:47.529

around the clock. And then after the vote. When the plant shut down for 11 days at the height of the season. Um, what did you think? Were you concerned that this la la cer condos er temporra que que queer. loss.

01:35:52.589 - 01:36:09.680

She said that they heard from the newspapers and stuff, the clippings and stuff like that that they heard all the loans he was getting from banks and you know, basically he was just getting in debtor. So they knew you want something to drink water, soda, yeah,

01:36:15.850 - 01:36:48.529

put this on for Fargo. Salula noticia de que via prestado. No recuerdo cuarentamiquiarecuento al norcal parasierra travajado la. Laia and uh the mosque posses Wes Fargo tambien contra no porque uh, she remembered that that they heard that Wells Fargo had loaned North Carolina. She's not sure

01:36:48.529 - 01:37:07.129

of the amount, maybe 40 she's not sure of the amount. So they took that as a sign that Wells Fargo was on the side of the cannery. So basically they were against them. Did you ever think at any point that. If Mark Carso was going to

01:37:07.129 - 01:37:25.549

go out of business. That really was the strike was more against the bank at that point than against him. I'm sorry, repeat that. OK, when it when it became clear that Mortso was not going to be able to. That was the owner, yeah, and you know

01:37:25.549 - 01:37:40.020

they, Wells Fargo finally cut off his credit. Uh, because he was just too deep in debt and they were getting pressure from the Teamsters. The Teamsters trying to take all their money out of the Wells Fargo Bank. Um, when they cut off his credit, then the

01:37:40.020 - 01:38:24.180

strike was really did people think that the strike was against the bank now, more than, more than, uh, Watsonvilleans er so banal. Queen quela el banya metido in uh in a hula. But loquenotro siamola osmosafueraspiquela demosalas personasque even ent albanco que nosa pollar

01:38:24.180 - 01:38:42.529

and quesa car sudinero delbanco porque el banco el quesava financido alpatron lahuelga. Um, so basically when they were on the picket lines for the in front of Wells Fargo that when their customers would try, you know, going to Wells Fargo, they would try they would inform

01:38:42.819 - 01:38:59.560

the customers of Wells Fargo that Wells Fargo was ultimately the one that was financing the strike because they were giving their loans out to them, so they think that that's what pressured them more than anything else to actually cut. What do you think would have happened?

01:39:00.270 - 01:39:27.850

Yeah Uh, David Gill had not bought the plant. David Gill, yeah, no. Yeah, um, I, I asked in the movie there's an interview with one woman who said. I'd rather be out of work than go back to work for for more console and he shuts down,

01:39:28.100 - 01:40:03.180

fine, you know, I'm not gonna go back. Uh, I, I'm just wondering if other people felt that way. I can take it in. See porque. Um, ella is so much cos er. Yes, because during the strike he did a lot of things that were just to

01:40:03.180 - 01:40:37.390

irritate or get into the skin of the striker, so they really found no nothing for him other than. Were you surprised when you learned that David Gill was going to buy the plant? No porque demodo nosao dinero banya via negado loss quellanova tra salida de quevender

01:40:37.390 - 01:41:01.629

entoses and las juntas and renosotroses of lavamosiamosoqueque compreen mala planta peroquelasa travajado that they they got updates as far as. You know his status, uh, he was running out of money and stuff like that that he was going broke so that they informed the union that

01:41:01.799 - 01:41:28.459

so that they were, you know, that maybe someone should buy it but continue with the same. Were you When the agreement with David Gill was finally negotiated and they called you all together to discuss it. Um, And People have told me that there was a debate

01:41:28.459 - 01:41:46.379

that took place. It just really lasted 2 or 3 days inside the union hall or in the parking lot outside about whether to hold out for the health benefits for the part-time workers or whether to sort of accept it. What can you tell me about that?

01:41:47.330 - 01:42:04.450

The junta de condo David leva compra. So when they had the meeting about David, I mean the negotiating team came back after he bought the plant after he bought the plant and they said we've gotten him to agree to the same thing that all the other.

01:42:05.240 - 01:42:23.580

Uh Plants have agreed to But because it was a new company, Joe Fahey pointed out the part-timers won't have any seniority because they're treated as new workers, they have to work for 3 more years before they qualify for health benefits. And there was a big debate

01:42:23.939 - 01:42:49.120

back and forth over the, yeah, among the workers about whether to accept that or not, and you know I just wanted to get her account of that. Econo ellalo frieron nobino questadolos de laserias que fereaddique los questa one part time yeah even even a perde lasa

01:42:49.120 - 01:43:25.060

quetenian so even a pesacommonuevos so you don't say quesat resanos until the care tovian beneficiosi can condo de via platica condos redres trajadoresque. OK, don't think that because it's the color of this one. Um, but Look Paso esque via travajadores. The laotras canerias quelos esquiroles quesemeo

01:43:25.060 - 01:43:58.899

na travaja. Los los tenanque deja. Porquesino correanelrias go la de quelosiva demandaor the screaminacion. I pero and toes loquesivvo possesa porque no solos bugistas no queriamos travaja junto conlos esquiroles. Peron to los de laos de geron todosuste de bana regresada sutravajocommolo teniamos porenoria eos to los

01:43:58.899 - 01:44:24.069

esquirolesseiva aquedara ultima. Even a ultimo and the seor to she said that what she remembers is that um. They wanted to after the plant had been sold. That they want that they wanted to keep some of the scabs over. I didn't know that and that the

01:44:24.069 - 01:44:38.359

union was afraid that if it didn't that they were gonna get a lawsuit for discrimination. So one of the offers that was made was that they were gonna return to but they didn't wanna work with this guy so that was part of the problem. So when

01:44:38.359 - 01:44:56.069

they were offered to go back. That they were gonna remain, you know, they were gonna keep the seniority, but the scabs were the ones that were gonna have no seniority whatsoever. That's how they how they finally settled it. So you, when you went back to work,

01:44:56.109 - 01:45:25.109

there were still scabs. People with scab were still in the plant. Yeah, when they were returned to work, a lot of them didn't even bother coming there because I'm sure that they thought a lot of. Uh, scaps didn't bother yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, well, I

01:45:25.109 - 01:45:45.790

mean. This happens anytime permanent replacements get hired and they find out they're not really permanent, you know, um, unless the owner really does succeed in, you know, breaking the union, um. Were you prepared to vote for the settlement before you found out about the health benefits,

01:45:46.310 - 01:46:26.129

not being part of it? And to deter conta de loss. Mm. was Should I rephrase it doesn't remember yeah. voted no. I know, yeah, yeah, and eventually most people voted no. I'm just wondering how many people changed their mind during the discussion as a result of

01:46:26.129 - 01:46:54.930

it. Were you, did you change your mind, you know, when you finally voted no. What do you change your mind about what whether to accept the agreement that had been negotiated which you know treated the part-timers like new hires so they wouldn't be eligible for part

01:46:54.930 - 01:47:29.810

timers part time loss. Um. No, she said she doesn't remember that she doesn't remember, yeah, yeah. OK, I get that a lot. It's all right, um. So Did you participate in the? Would you march on your knees at the end? No, she was there but she

01:47:29.810 - 01:48:10.660

didn't participate. Yeah, it was just Janita and Esperanza Contreras. Oh she was holding like the big sign that they had, yeah, yeah, was that the one with the Virgin of Guadalupe on it or yeah. And she went to the front, so she went to go tell

01:48:10.660 - 01:48:43.290

the priest that the strikers strikers were coming, so he would open the door. Uh, were you afraid that he wouldn't? Oh, a sip or que yeah avia. Estabano oh esta fibelia. Eanuera cattolica and toessea alarel padre queparra unservio no seque loo los cuchea donsam and la

01:48:43.290 - 01:49:14.149

guga de ambre and la noche estabbaniendoes soa foraicel padres via negado. Servia negadoa accept that. Is delays via que nora sees its perositor de que no she thought there was a chance that she was afraid that he might push them back because there was a woman

01:49:14.149 - 01:49:40.390

that went to go speak to the priest when during the hunger strikes, um, but she wasn't a Catholic. Oh, so she overheard that and that she was afraid that that might be el padres papaya eramosa estamos acts and la iglesias poresoyu uh delante de los immeti.

01:49:47.520 - 01:49:59.609

And that's why she since she was, she's always been active in the church as well, um, so she knew the priest, so that's why she went ahead of the strikers to talk to the priest herself just to you know so to try to make sure that.

01:50:00.740 - 01:50:22.149

Um, was that your church? Is that where you worshiped? Yeah, Saint Patrick's, yeah, people have told me that the church in Baharal across the river, that the priest there was much more sympathetic and much more supportive of the strike. So. There were a lot of meetings

01:50:22.149 - 01:50:48.240

and Patricios in Saint Patrick's Day was a Monsignor. He was like Honduras or something. Spanish. Yeah, was he the one who Well you probably don't know the answer to this. Was he the one who Uh, looked at the books at Richard Shaw. I know that they

01:50:48.250 - 01:51:05.040

they had they invited uh. I don't know, some high ranking church official to Richard Shaw he saw him. He let him look at his book. Yeah, the union got Shaw offered to open his books to the union to show them that he was losing money and

01:51:05.040 - 01:51:56.450

so you know they they sent a bishop or somebody in Monsignor in there to look at the books. Sergio Lopez. I counas cuatroistas alarconnelo vispo. The lane no no no, it wasn't him but they did ask for help from the diaocese saying that yeah

01:51:56.540 - 01:52:30.390

yeah yeah yeah well. I'm about out of questions. I mean, unless I start really going for a field, I mean, um. The hunger strike was not something that you would have Thought of yourself with it. You've never done anything like that. Tusla Yes. Canado. Would you

01:52:30.390 - 01:53:05.029

do it again and the same same situation, yeah, yeah. Do you think it helped. Uh, It is good. Lo queo predi Durantetoda la huerga. Esque mantenendo unpoo firme and and el proposito de loquequier and conse was mologra. But the one thing that she did learn out

01:53:05.029 - 01:53:16.700

of the whole strike, and that's a part of the reason, well, that's the biggest reason why I know that she went into this, into to work with the teams is because If people are united and they stay united throughout the whole process for the same goals

01:53:16.700 - 01:53:31.140

that they that's the only way and that's the way that they will achieve those goals, not just necessarily for this but in all aspects of life. Had you been involved? Before you came to Watsonville, are you in Mexico, were you ever involved in unions or anything

01:53:31.140 - 01:53:54.979

like that? No, no. Um, were there very many strikers who had been? Because a muchostas quesa one ante de la elgata quesatidos in cosascomo. The only owners in Mexico on the sell. No yeah. Did you know Jose Lopez very well? Yeah. I always had the impression

01:53:54.979 - 01:54:14.589

that he had been active in Mexico, but I, you know, I don't know. I don't know how to find him either, so I can interview him, but I'm pretty. Um, Well, that's it. I mean it's uh you've given me 2 hours. And I