00:00:11.390 - 00:00:30.520

OK. A very good. You didn't have anything. Oh no, I listened to it. I have it all. Oh, OK, you talked to me for almost 2 hours. Yeah, I remember when my daughter was here was here translating. It was a very good interview. She's gonna be

00:00:30.520 - 00:00:47.189

here because she had to go to work. 211, she had to be to leave at 2:30 we'll do what we can. I'm not, you know, um. What I want to do today, and it might be a little hard for you. I'm going to ask some very,

00:00:47.470 - 00:01:10.779

very specific questions, OK, and you probably won't remember the answers to a lot of them, but let's just do the best we can. I try because when you get old, you forgot about a lot about it I'm 6666. She's 73 and she's 74 and I'm 73.

00:01:12.230 - 00:01:35.169

You know you're only 3 years older than my sister. It's OK. Yeah, you have that on. Actually I have a um I have a thermos in the car. It's OK. So what I'm gonna do is just go through the strike because I've written a lot now

00:01:35.169 - 00:01:51.260

and I'm trying to sort of. Plug up some holes, things that I don't know quite enough about or I'm confused or people haven't given me the same. Account, so it's gonna be real specific. Don't worry if you can't answer. We'll see what we can do. Um,

00:01:51.379 - 00:02:09.658

my first question has to do with. When did you first learn that um You were probably going to have to go out on strike. When when did you when did you first learn that you were going to have to go out on strike? Can you remember

00:02:09.658 - 00:02:27.628

the circumstances, you want date or situation doesn't have to be exact date. You can give me the situation. I can probably say the situation was when when they started pushing us like we need to, to do more uh more cutting broccoli. We need to make more

00:02:27.628 - 00:02:44.809

boxes in one minute. We need to do more, more like if we need to pack it more boxes in a minute, we need to in the scale, we need to do more, more, uh, scales, more boxes, and then we say no we can't, we're gonna kill

00:02:44.809 - 00:03:02.410

ourselves. Yeah, I remember actually you talked to me about that the first time we spoke um and I guess there was a A lady who started lying about her, you know, uh, production figures just so people wouldn't get fired. Yeah, that's, uh, uh, you know, the

00:03:02.410 - 00:03:16.050

floor ladies, they start like they say pushing us and pick it up, come on, hurry up, hurry up, and you know what I did. I just drop on my boxes and I said I'm leaving and she said, Why? And I said I'm leaving because you tried

00:03:16.050 - 00:03:33.582

to kill us and I say, you want to leave? Let's live. Let's go. And uh and the other people they get afraid about it and the other ones on the 2 or 3, they follow me. We were about 5 people we live and then we went

00:03:33.582 - 00:03:49.675

to the union to the to the place because the juniors us to the union hall, yeah, and we went to the place and they say no. You need to, you need to wait. You need to see until when people, uh, the rest of the people, you

00:03:49.675 - 00:04:06.699

know, feel like you guys. Who did you talk to? We talk about with the big guy. I don't remember the name Fred, the big, the big ugly guy, yeah, yeah. What is the name of the Fred Fred bald. Yeah, was the president of the union was

00:04:06.699 - 00:04:21.019

the president, and then, and then he says, no, we need to, and I say you need to go and see, you know, you send somebody else if you don't want to go there. And then the following day they yeah they send you and they were they

00:04:21.019 - 00:04:39.320

were there standing there looking, but you know when they hear they there when the. Representatives of the union that were there, uh, you know, the floor ladies start they don't say anything, and I told her, Can you tell us what you say when the these people

00:04:39.320 - 00:04:54.679

not here, not around here? Can you just say, say, come on, come on, hurry up, pick it up, keep it up. And then, and then he was looking at me, she was looking at me and he said. Yeah, that's you, yeah, that's, and then little by

00:04:54.679 - 00:05:13.010

little, you know, the people feels like a strong when another girl lady add another more more and more, you know, like a little by little. OK, and I said, I told you, like, come on, how do you feel to work like that, you know, pushing and,

00:05:13.179 - 00:05:35.399

and they said, oh, OK, you're right, let's leave and little by little we start, you know, getting together and and. In the end, we all get together. Frank Barday told me that you were. Active in TDU before the strike. How did you get involved? Yeah, we

00:05:35.399 - 00:05:56.720

get involved because we start, uh, like not, not trusting the, the, the people there, you know, the big guy. I don't know, the, the, the whole people I don't remember the names and I said why, why we need to make in a group. Pushing them to

00:05:56.720 - 00:06:16.239

do something for us. That's why we remember how long ago was that? When, when did you first get involved in TDU? Like, uh, when we start thinking about we're gonna be in strike, but the, the those the big people, you know, the, the union, the, the

00:06:16.239 - 00:06:34.920

teamsters, they never listen to us. We need to be with the TDG, the group to pushing them to do something and what's going on in the middle of the. Like uh they say we get in '86 and then I was in a, I don't remember it

00:06:34.920 - 00:07:02.250

was September 455 yeah, September 8 85 86, but I don't remember the month, but we started, you know, like I was talking to, to um Enrique Esperanza and uh and I said and then from the key. Say that's come on and then was uh Joe Fahi

00:07:03.059 - 00:07:24.179

too he was the one who was trying to teach because we the only thing we know like a we cannot stand on those things, you know, it's too too hard for us and then we start, you know, like a. Learning things from people like don't let

00:07:24.179 - 00:07:44.600

them to be like that with you. So you actually did not. Joined TDU. You didn't become a member of TDU until right before the strike. You know, I never want to go to be there because in the in the beginning it's because my English, you know,

00:07:44.690 - 00:08:06.119

and people then they vote for me because they think I'm very, I'm not a, uh, you know, they need um people more uh political, more like a I'm very strict, very like a clear when I say things and they, they think that if I go there.

00:08:06.670 - 00:08:32.630

They are going to sign the contract because um the people more uh with the the striker was elected in October after the strike began you were at that meeting. the big meeting at the church where they elected the strikers, they don't want me there. You weren't

00:08:32.630 - 00:08:49.669

there. They didn't want me there because I was already the TDU. They don't want me because uh my English and they think I was, uh, I don't want to be a good. People to negotiate. Here's here's why I, I mean. That was an open meeting Um,

00:08:50.659 - 00:09:07.940

and anybody who was a striker could go to that meeting and vote for whoever they wanted to. You know, I have a hearing problem. That wasn't, so do I. That was an open meeting and anybody who was on strike could go and vote for whoever they

00:09:07.940 - 00:09:25.049

thought should represent them. You know what I, I did, I bought for for uh for um Joe Fahey, yeah, so he did run for I named him, and he named me me but they don't want me. I don't know why. Well, that was a strikers only.

00:09:25.479 - 00:09:43.030

Joe was working for UPS then. Um, Joe, Joe was driving a United Parcel service truck. He wasn't on strike and he wasn't a union officer yet, um, so he would not have been at that meeting because I know they didn't. I know you're thinking about the

00:09:43.030 - 00:10:14.070

nomination, yeah, yeah, that's true, um, the other one. Um, I was already TDU. I remember that, and they named Gloria Betancouruca Romily. I think 2 more. There were a couple of guys who did not stick around. What what is the other, the, the skinny one, Carlos

00:10:14.070 - 00:10:35.429

Carlos, Carlos and uh it was about 5 and and they, you know, 2 people want me to be there they don't want me. I don't know why they don't vote for me. Yeah, I mean, um, because they're afraid of me. I feel I, I had a

00:10:35.429 - 00:10:55.599

feeling they were afraid of me because they don't want me to be there. They think I'm not, they need people. I forgot the word to say more, um, uh. Not political but a more like a, uh, to say not to be very like a you have

00:10:55.599 - 00:11:10.409

to do this me because I need it, you know, like I'm those kind of person and, and they say no, not you and I don't know why that's the only thing that well, but you were at the meeting was Jose Lopez there? Do you remember him?

00:11:11.400 - 00:11:36.450

Jose Lopez was very a strong person, but he never liked me, he don't want to be there involved. He was with uh um Cruz Gomez, more all those helpers, you know, the. Did you know, uh, did you know Manuel Diaz? Manuel Diaz, yes. Um, did you

00:11:36.450 - 00:11:55.010

have any contact with him before this, before the striker committee was elected? Did he talk to you? Did you go into those house meetings that he was having? To be honest, we don't like him, no, because, uh, Diaz and Oscar Rios, we didn't like them because

00:11:55.010 - 00:12:16.669

they won. They use the strikers to get. To get a position in something, you know, to get, to get a job. He's, he's there in the, in the city of Watsonville for a long time, and he used the strikers for that. I'm sorry to say that.

00:12:16.750 - 00:12:38.729

I told him that, but we, we told him you don't help. We use one to get something from the strike, you know. And Manuel Diaz. Can you tell me a little bit about him, he was a cannery worker from San Jose. Uh, his mother was Rayna

00:12:38.729 - 00:13:04.469

Diaz, who would come over, you know, I think sometimes and talk to the strikers. Uh, she was an old cannery organizer. So I remember her Rayna Diaz was her name uh long gray hair bandana, um. Uh, yeah, I mean, Manuel was her son, and he, he

00:13:04.469 - 00:13:28.979

actually was working for TDU when he came to Watsonville. Um, he was in he was, yeah, um, but he got to town and he and Jose Lopez had a falling out. Um, I think, um. Manuel was concerned that, you know, there wasn't enough. The people weren't

00:13:28.979 - 00:13:57.119

being trained to take leadership in the strike, uh, and, um, so he started holding these house meetings, you know, this is early on. Um, and he was just, I think he, he just asked people to come that Frank could put him in touch with, you know,

00:13:57.130 - 00:14:14.210

initially Manuel and Frank Lopez, they all worked together aide. Uh, it's just that the conflict happened after the strike started. But Manuel initially went down there to help out, and Frank said you should meet with this person and that person, and so on. Um, and I,

00:14:14.409 - 00:14:40.700

I can't locate Jose, so I don't know what. To cuerda Jose Lopez I am sorry because he got here, yeah, I know he had a hard time staying you know those kind of people that were like disappointed in many ways, you know, because they, they want

00:14:40.820 - 00:15:02.469

the things, uh, be for the other. Wait, like a, like not to sign contract just to go and work there because it's our job, it's our part, you know, they, they want us to to be because we don't need contracts with the union. We don't need

00:15:02.469 - 00:15:18.510

anything. We are the workers. Why we pay the union. You know why we pay? We are the union. We're supposed to go in there and he was disappointed because a lot of people, they need to work, they need money like me, you know, was, uh, lucky

00:15:18.510 - 00:15:35.179

because he used to work. He said you're not farm workers. He worked in the fields and I have a support for him and then a lot of people that don't have, they both work there and they, they want us to get the. Cannery not to have

00:15:35.179 - 00:15:58.059

anything with the junior members there. Why we pay them. Why I say we are, we are the workers and I, and I, and I support them because one day we're gonna go all the group into the cannery to work there, but we had the police like

00:15:58.059 - 00:16:14.859

this that they let us to go inside. So, um, I want to move up a little, you. I'm sorry, I had to speak up. I should know better. I have to, because I have a hearing because he had a hearing. I had to talk loud to

00:16:14.859 - 00:16:39.010

him, yeah, well, I'd loan you my hearing aid probably wouldn't work, um. So You did go to the meeting where they elected the strikers' Committee, but, and you were nominated but you weren't elected. They don't dominate me. They not nominate me. No. No, they don't want

00:16:39.010 - 00:16:53.210

me there because they think, well, you were a striker you had a right to, yeah, I had the right, but everybody wants me, you know, the junior members wants me to be there, but they think, uh, uh, I don't have a good education. I don't have

00:16:53.210 - 00:17:14.270

the good English. I don't have, you know, uh, another. Um, had the patience to go and talk and you know, yeah, yeah, I mean was it something that you feel you have done if you had, I mean, apart from what you, you think you could have

00:17:14.270 - 00:17:35.069

done it? Could you have been on the strikers? Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know you know what I, what I, I do, if you ever there I just. Talk to all my friends there and go work inside. It's our job. We don't have to be with the

00:17:35.069 - 00:18:02.930

union. Did you go to the union hall during the strike regularly? Did you go down to the union hall meetings on Monday night. Did you go to those meetings? Yeah, um, can you tell me a little about them? Well, um, because everybody had different, you know,

00:18:03.010 - 00:18:30.079

all. The women's right here in the back they're like Esperanza Contreras, Esperanza uh Enrique, uh, me, um. Not Gloria. Gloria was not too strong in those, you know, it was about 3 more ladies, I forgot the name, and uh and uh Enrique and um. The the

00:18:30.079 - 00:18:52.800

one Jose Lopez. You're, you're talking now about the, the official union meetings, um, after October, I know they started having regular meetings, not the, not the monthly union meetings every week people would meet on Monday night. In the union hall just to talk about You know,

00:18:53.000 - 00:19:11.685

strike strategy. What do we do now when they was the the strike was, yeah, I mean, I know the union meetings are very frustrating, go there like like they say, oh we had negotiation. And they offer to you this and that and we say no we

00:19:11.685 - 00:19:29.165

don't want that. Oh, that's all they they have for you. Take it or leave it. And I say no, no, and no, we always say no, but I, I don't know if you have answered your question. Yeah, I guess what I'm trying to get a sense

00:19:29.165 - 00:19:49.030

of. The union was not very helpful at first at all and you know they always said I went there and that's the only thing that we offer and, and the people, the, the, the strikers, they went there. But I said, why you're too weak? And I

00:19:49.030 - 00:20:04.469

say, and I said, well you go there and see how are they going to convince you? And I say, no, they don't need to convince me. We as like a striker, we need to convince ourselves. We need for for me, I want just to go inside.

00:20:04.709 - 00:20:19.854

I don't want to go in those meetings. I don't care about those meetings. not go to the union. No, I don't care about those union those meetings because, uh, anyways, if we are there we always tell from from come you have to hear what they said

00:20:20.045 - 00:20:37.079

and they say no we don't want this. It's not a union member, but it's our the the this the committee how they call the. The support. Support committee, you know, and I say he had the right to be here and they say no, no, he's not

00:20:37.079 - 00:20:55.699

a member, and I say if you ranks live, they'll help us live, we live and that's why we don't like us because we all were at TDU. Did uh TDU continue to meet after, yeah, how, how, how, how long did it last because Joe told me

00:20:55.699 - 00:21:35.680

that. Yeah, because a lot of some people, they get disappointed and they leave. Why, why, why? Because for me that's because uh we don't have enough support for the union even if the TDU pushing them, no, and then was Sergio Lopez after

00:21:35.680 - 00:22:09.469

that was Sergio Lopez we. Then they're too weak. I didn't strike, yeah, yeah, but I was striker, yeah. Gloria, I know, thought it was important. That the strikers use the union hall and you know use whatever the union had to offer and make the union accountable,

00:22:09.780 - 00:22:21.869

you know, the stars we're paying our dues. We have a right to use the hall, that kind of thing, something that she kept emphasizing when I talked to her. You know, That that's our union. We should be able to go in there and use it. We

00:22:21.869 - 00:22:44.479

should be able to meet there. We should be able to talk about our problems there, um. And I mean, was this something you talked about with her? Did you agree with her? Because, uh, with her and I, to be honest, we don't be not friends because

00:22:44.479 - 00:23:03.140

we had different point of view of the situation, you know. And uh that's why she doesn't agree with me and I don't agree with her, but at the same time we were all together, you know, we were there like because the people we all together, but

00:23:03.140 - 00:23:21.829

even if I'm not uh uh I don't agree with her. Yeah, I mean, it's not so much how you felt about her personally. Did you agree with her that it was important? Did you disagree with her that it was important to use the union as much

00:23:21.829 - 00:23:49.699

as possible to help the strike, or do you think it just wasn't going to happen? Yeah, because it's, um, for me, like I said. To be with those officials there wasn't too good because they try to to talk and to tell our ears beautiful things, things

00:23:49.699 - 00:24:07.530

they're not true. You didn't trust Sergio. No, I didn't trust nobody, to be honest, you know, I'm sorry that you said when, when we had a celebration, we win the strike, and I said, well, it's OK, you feel good, but I said in the strike we

00:24:07.530 - 00:24:28.819

didn't win anything. We just get some things we lost, you know, that that's, that's my, did you vote for the final settlement once you got your health benefits back? When you, when the strike was finally settled and people went back to work. Did you Vote to

00:24:28.819 - 00:24:46.819

accept it at the end, at the very end. I don't accept, but, but the people was telling me, Fidelia nothing we can do. We had to, we had to do, you know, like a, like this person they think that the new person who buy the, the,

00:24:47.060 - 00:25:08.329

that's why I make that write that corrido, yeah, because for me, you know, uh, I was disappointed for everything. The only thing I really love. Because all the womans get together and we win a lot of respect, you know, for, for those, uh, uh, for people,

00:25:08.380 - 00:25:35.589

you know, like it has a workers. Ben. You know, I like maybe she, she can help you in a, in some little thing that I just want to tell you. Because, uh, not, uh, I'm not diplomatic, you know, they want people to be diplomatic, you know,

00:25:35.709 - 00:25:51.109

like, uh, to talk because if you are like a, and then when I start working with the school district, I was there with the union too, and then we have one of the person like me and we and they don't like her because they say if

00:25:51.109 - 00:26:20.910

we're gonna go to negotiate, we don't want her. What is, what's her name? uh forgot, uh. Marianne Gomez was the junior rep for for our union for the school district for classified, and we don't want her because her, she was like me. Yeah, I'm, I have

00:26:20.910 - 00:26:35.979

to leave at 2:45 to be at work. Oh, you have about 5 minutes. I think you better go 5 minutes. Don't get sucked into this. What's a key, you know, I'm trying to say a lot of stuff. What's a key question? Maybe she can help me

00:26:35.979 - 00:27:03.609

with one question. Um, did you? I was asking her. You know what, I'll just ask all the questions I wanted to ask you if you knew. Uh, any of the people who at Richard Shaw. persona no, Richard Shaw is a person. Richard Shaw is the other

00:27:03.609 - 00:27:22.089

plant that was on strike. Richard Shaw, yeah, yeah, no, I didn't, I went there because they told me when I was in the TDU, they told me to go there to work after they get inside, you know, before, no, I didn't know, I didn't know the

00:27:22.089 - 00:27:43.859

people who worked there because I remember when. When Richard Shaw, when the workers there voted to go back to work, you all were at Watsonville Canning were kind of left out, yeah, yeah, um, I'm just wondering, I mean if if You have any ideas about why?

00:27:44.709 - 00:28:09.760

They went back to work and, and you, you all didn't, OK. They went back in a quiro explileso in noss nos fumos porque inla canelia villamoscommos sales personas mucho masfuerte quelas questaban ella ella richard Chao que es esitaan mas personas fuerte como commo strikers comoqueloudara and

00:28:09.760 - 00:28:46.449

comola cinco questavamos and ella o cano queso fu. porque esquelos loss laser OK, so she feels as though on her side there at the counter here um there it was her as well as maybe about 5 or 6 other people who were. Very passionate and um

00:28:46.449 - 00:29:02.849

into just not going back to work um and she feels as though maybe the workers on the other side were influenced and convinced by the union to just go for it um but on where she was working they just all shared a common opinion about being

00:29:02.849 - 00:29:37.810

faithful to the, you know, yeah, I understand that. I'm just curious as to what made Richard Shaw different. Uh for me, I think because uh that's why they convince the people, yeah, but he's wondering like do if you have an opinion as to why they they

00:29:37.810 - 00:30:07.219

would be more easily convinced porque er mass que porquejos no. no que pasa quelos yeah, she has, she was I think it because our wife would have been the ones that were convinced she doesn't have any reason you didn't know anybody who worked there. No. Did

00:30:07.219 - 00:30:33.449

you know Aurora Trujillo? Aurora Trujillo, Aurora, and Aurora Trujillo and Linda Garcia Linda Garcia, some of them, but not, not too close. I don't know, no, because in the end, you know how we were like a um. And the meetings we get together sometimes because they,

00:30:33.530 - 00:30:50.410

they tell us no, we need to live there, we need to to feed our kids and I said and all our my husband works in the cannery. I think that because for us we have more more people than the husbands work in the fields and they.

00:30:50.525 - 00:31:16.425

Support with the money and I think because the money was in my opinion, OK, the money was only $50 a week and they they both work in the cannery and they work with strikers mostly there and the Richard I think I'm not sure. Yeah, I mean

00:31:16.425 - 00:31:38.900

I know that was a shock, but did you, did you see it coming? that much. Um, no, because, uh, we were talking to the people and they say, uh, like the union tell us that's the only thing you guys gonna lose more than what we did

00:31:39.180 - 00:32:11.040

and you better go. They tried to convince us to get in and we tried to convince them not to get and we were like that, but. Well, you couldn't give in to negotiate with, and Richard were I think more loss. She thinks that Richard Shaw was

00:32:11.040 - 00:32:35.290

more compassionate and just more willing to change, yeah. They they don't they weren't given exactly what they were all, you know, wanting, right? They didn't give them exactly what they were requesting, but they did negotiate and was not going to negotiate at all, right, I understand,

00:32:35.410 - 00:32:54.905

OK. I'm just kidding, nice to meet you. I'm so sorry that I didn't have more time. OK, you know, we'll manage. Yeah, I hope I don't drive her crazy. If you wanted to do a follow-up session, just give. My mom, you know, and I'll be more

00:32:54.905 - 00:33:18.119

than happy, I think I was retired in 2006 and no more English, so in Spanish, Spanish, I keep forgetting a lot of stuff. No, I'm not, not like before. Have a good day at work. Yeah, he works in one of the jojo. She just, I'm a

00:33:18.119 - 00:33:33.189

dorm counselor at Monte Vista Christian school. Yeah, I work there 3 days a week and during the week I'm also a mental health worker for Santa Clara County, so I'm a busy, busy mom. so please give me enough time to just. I think Mondays are good

00:33:33.189 - 00:33:48.180

for me. I thought that you were free today. That was why I came down. Yeah, I guess I might have misunderstood you on the phone. You told me to come at 2 o'clock on Saturday when we talked on the phone you said come at 2 o'clock

00:33:48.180 - 00:34:03.180

on Saturday. I think my daughter will be there. No, I say I'm not sure she will not be there because she's gonna start at 3. Yeah, maybe, maybe my English not too good. I can come down. I mean, we'll work something out. Yeah, Mondays are the

00:34:03.180 - 00:34:25.239

day during the week where I don't work at all. That's my only free day. Get to work. Thanks. Bye bye. OK. Wow, I remember her translating for the first time on the tape. Yeah, but you know how many years ago? Oh, it was 2010 it was

00:34:25.239 - 00:34:41.510

years ago years ago you know when you don't practice what language you keep forgetting it's only Spanish to teach my grandkids. Well, you know, I was living in Oregon the first time I talked to you I would come down here to visit family. I live in

00:34:41.510 - 00:35:05.638

Oakland. Uh just an hour and a half so I can come in and talk to people for a long time I was trying to do all this from 700 miles away and it's very slow and now that I'm here I

00:35:05.638 - 00:35:17.729

can finish, you know, I've written a lot from the work that you see that I have you so my God so beautiful. I translated to my husband, you know, little by little. Well, you know, I, I interviewed Sergio. Sergio Lopez. I interviewed him last week and

00:35:17.729 - 00:35:38.280

I said, he he he's retired, you know, he's he lives right around you by the other side of the air. Oh, he's driving the motorcycle, Sergio Lopez. I don't know. Yeah, I saw him at San Juan Bautista one time and his motorcycle. Well, you know, um.

00:35:39.709 - 00:35:54.699

He talked to me quite a bit and at the end I said, you know, you really He said he respected Frank Boy even though he didn't agree with him because he was very honest about his opinion and about why he didn't say that when he was

00:35:54.699 - 00:36:26.419

the president. No, because he's retired, he can say anything he wants to, you know, it's very different. I think you're a politician, but I'm I'm not a political or diplomatic, I say I, I did tell him, you know, you really should. You know I told him

00:36:26.419 - 00:36:54.750

that I, you know, I've been recommending it to. I don't agree with Frank, but I always find very interesting to talk to and I think it's a wonderful book, you know, I just read where he's um right now. Uh, when they say that braceros, he has

00:36:54.750 - 00:37:17.360

jumped the border with the red flags. They didn't get Cesar Chavez wasn't very active. I didn't know that Cesar Chavez was against the braceros. Well, I knew he was against the braceros, but it's like he, he really He wasn't good about anybody coming from Mexico, you

00:37:17.360 - 00:37:41.340

know, and jump over Mexicali border, he, he doesn't know nothing to do, you know, he say, OK, very strong, very, you know, they're workers. I mean, his family was from Arizona. They'd lived, you know, there for generations and They lost their land, I guess during the

00:37:41.340 - 00:38:04.830

depression and I think he saw things very differently from people who had just come to this country like yourself. Um, it's, it's too bad because I remember when we invite Cesar Chavez to come here, uh. Well, we don't have any support because uh just, you know,

00:38:05.169 - 00:38:24.659

get together, be strong, that's that's how he did. Uh, he was the first one to say you guys should take your money out of Wells Fargo Bank. Uh, they're, they're, they're, they're, they're putting up the money for Watsonville Canning. They're, they're funding more. Wells Fargo was

00:38:24.659 - 00:38:46.770

the one who gave it more to work with the strikers and that's why you should take your money out of their. you know, but I don't know if they did that they did actually they were threatening to do it and I think in the end, Wells

00:38:46.770 - 00:39:06.209

Fargo, when they finally cut off Morts, I think it was partly because the union was putting pressure on them because they had a lot of pension money in the bank. I don't know, people talked about this at all, you know, the strike. I remember that we

00:39:06.209 - 00:39:22.939

went there. Li was 2 years old. We were there, you know, with the line there for a boycott the bank, but I don't know what they did. Did you go down and pick the? Yeah, yeah, yeah, we had a movie there when they were, yeah, actually

00:39:22.939 - 00:39:39.729

I did see it and I know the union was a little squeamish about that. Oh, I didn't agree with TDU. We were there. I mean they didn't, I mean, um. They were trying to negotiate with the bank behind the scenes. They didn't want anybody going out

00:39:39.729 - 00:40:01.129

and picketing, you know, um, and I think. Chuck Mac, do you know who he is? He was the head of the Teamsters in the Bay Area. No Well, uh, those names I don't have a long time ago was 20, she was 2 years old. She was

00:40:01.129 - 00:40:23.449

29 years. You would not have, you probably would never have met. Yeah, but you, you remember more than me, you know, you know what I've been talking to everybody and reading, reading about the hunger strike, why we suffer when. Our job is there, you know, why

00:40:23.449 - 00:40:43.459

we don't go to work and do negotiate as a as a strikers with the bosses not to pay the union to make them rich, you know what I mean? I'm a little confused I think what you're saying. You said you you were saying the hunger strike.

00:40:43.870 - 00:41:06.229

Yeah, we had to go to that. I don't agree with that. Like Cesar Chavez was in a hunger strike. It's OK, but, but for God, I don't think he wants us to suffer to get things like that. Like if you have your hands, you're strong, you,

00:41:06.449 - 00:41:25.064

you, you are a human. Why you had to show somebody if I had to be in my knees and I don't want to eat. I'm gonna kill myself for you to. Save me personally, I agree with you, you know, for me I think that's why a

00:41:25.064 - 00:41:45.260

lot of people that agree with me because why I show the people I had to be hungry. I had to be poor. No, God doesn't want that. I, I actually um. When I first interviewed Gloria. Um, She said, no, I, I'm not into starving myself. I'm

00:41:45.260 - 00:42:00.350

certainly not into getting on my knees. People have seen us on our knees too much already. But if this is what people want to do, I, I have to go along that's my responsibility, you know, if I, you know, because you want to do that. Do

00:42:00.350 - 00:42:16.909

it, she saw herself as being in leadership. I mean she had to listen to people, you know, even if she didn't agree with it personally, she had to do what they, yeah, she wasn't, she wasn't gonna march on her knees. She drew the line at that,

00:42:17.010 - 00:42:40.750

you know, she walked. I know I said I was there to support my friends, my coworkers, but, but I don't agree with that. Did you know, did you know the Contreras very well? Yeah, uh, the one he was in a friend, uh, Anita was the one

00:42:40.750 - 00:43:02.770

I think and then Esperanza, then she got the Contreras after those things she think that the Maria thought she saw the Virgin I don't agree with that because it's not ready. God is not ready to come yet. Yeah, no, there's a little shrine up there at

00:43:02.770 - 00:43:21.120

Pinto Bay. Those things and the tree if you see it right here, you're gonna see different stuff, you know that's why I said, but I, I, if my people, you know, my friends, you know, they believe in that it's OK, I respect, I respect, but don't

00:43:21.120 - 00:43:39.540

make me to do things where I don't believe. I respect you, you know, and I want you to respect me and I was interviewing her. She was telling me a lot of. Things like uh I don't believe Anita's had a very hard life, yeah, with her

00:43:39.540 - 00:44:04.260

daughter, yeah, you know, and those things for me, we don't win the strike. We, we just get things we, we already lost some of those things. Did you get any satisfaction from knowing that. Mort Consul was trying to break the union and you put him out

00:44:04.260 - 00:44:27.919

of business. No, all that matters is like, you know what you're getting at the end of the day. Yeah. Like I, I told you how I, I feel like uh we were used, they use us, the union, you know, those people, they just want our money

00:44:28.489 - 00:45:02.310

and they were not strong enough, um, they call us communist. Because who, who did the union, those people over there, Sergio Sergio Lopez is the comunistas because they listen to is a communist, you know. And I say no, we are people together we need uh we

00:45:02.310 - 00:45:21.649

need, you know, to work for money, to feed our kids to, we need to take our kids to school, you know, my two daughters, they have a good education because we are people who come here to work, not to do nothing bad. Now I wanna ask

00:45:21.649 - 00:45:41.189

you about something you may not remember very much because I, I think I asked you about it the last time we talked too. I'm gonna try it again. When Sergio Lopez, when Richard King, you know, the, the. The drunken guy when he when he when he

00:45:41.189 - 00:46:03.159

resigned when he quit and Sergio took over. Um, Joe Fahey told me that there was a big meeting, a union meeting out of the fairgrounds where Sergio the very first meeting after the new officers came in. Do you remember that? What can you tell me about

00:46:03.159 - 00:46:26.800

it? But I don't remember much, but that was the big meeting when they nominated Sergio Lopez. And when was that that meeting that dominated? Oh, that was a little earlier. That was the union meeting where they nominated the new officers I'm talking about after the election.

00:46:27.629 - 00:46:43.060

In January of 1986 when Sergio took office, when he took over the union. I remember nobody wants him. Yeah, yeah, that's the only thing I remember. Nobody wanted him, but nobody wanted to run against him either. Yeah, I mean, I guess Gloria's brother started to, and

00:46:43.060 - 00:47:03.280

then he got we need somebody. I don't care. I said that. I don't care if if. You know, people because it was Mexican, they think because Mexican help Mexican is not true and not true people help people if you don't have a good heart, if the

00:47:03.280 - 00:47:24.929

people think about like a like a um. We help you because I have a good heart, not because you're Mexican or you whatever, because I have a good heart. I understand your struggle, but he was there, I think it was for the money because he was

00:47:24.929 - 00:47:43.729

not a strong person. But that meeting, I don't remember much about that meeting, but a lot of people we were screaming like we don't want him to be there. So Joe, maybe, maybe this will hope you remember this is something that Joe Fahey told me. He

00:47:43.729 - 00:48:02.080

said that Sergio got up and said. It's tough, it's as tough for me as it is for you. That you know, I, I, I've taken on this job of running the union. Uh, Richard King has spent all our money. We have no money left in the

00:48:02.080 - 00:48:21.310

Treasury. We have this very difficult strike. Um, He wanted you to sympathize with him. And I don't know if you remember that was the way Joe remembered it, yeah, yeah, because he wants to say, you know, like if I told you I'm a very good person,

00:48:21.389 - 00:48:40.570

you know, and you're gonna make a beautiful book if you if you write what I told you, yeah, like he was like a convinced people think we went corazon. I have a good heart to help, you know, because, you know, I speak your language. I, you

00:48:40.570 - 00:49:04.709

see how much I can help. And everybody was oh Mhm, people, people didn't believe him, yeah, no, but. But I don't know because we were already mad. We were already disappointed. We were already like hungry a lot of people, a lot of couples that were losing

00:49:04.709 - 00:49:23.120

their houses. We, we don't have a house that lost their house aside from the about 3 or 4 people. I don't remember we used to pay rent, you know, my husband worked so hard after the strike. I went to school and I said I got to

00:49:23.120 - 00:49:36.699

pass the test to reclassify that yeah that was the part of the interview that I found so interesting how hard you had to work to get your GED and then you wound up teaching special education, which is what my wife very tough job, but I really

00:49:36.699 - 00:50:05.800

miss look at what they did for me, you know, when I retired all the little kids, you know, that's. Well, it's, it's, it's very rewarding. Yeah, yeah, but still I'm not satisfied what I did. I couldn't be done more things in in my life, but Well,

00:50:05.899 - 00:50:30.889

I don't know, you know, I. This is way off the subject of the I, I always, I like to talk about this because I was so impressed with the, you know, the work that my wife did, and I want you and then the only thing that

00:50:30.889 - 00:50:44.850

I have is about myself I myself because I help the ones who nobody wants to help them and you know my, my son. That's a boy, I told him, if you have a good heart, well, he's doing what I was doing and you know my two

00:50:44.850 - 00:51:10.169

daughters, they work hard before and then she was Sacramento State. The other one was Monterrey, and, and I did. What I had to do, working hard, I sometimes I had 3 jobs. Let me go back to Uh, early 1986, right after the new after Richard King

00:51:11.239 - 00:51:33.729

left the union after he retired. And Sergio took over. There was a leaflet that came out, a leaflet, a flyer, uh, a piece of paper with a, you know, um. And it, it said Let's get together and talk about how we can win this strike. Um,

00:51:33.969 - 00:52:06.090

and. Meet at the church, I think the assumption church on February 8th. You did, yeah, I I've got a copy it's Gloria Ramirez and Joe Joey, and I think he wrote the leaflet because it sounds like he wrote it. He

00:52:06.090 - 00:52:28.399

had a certain style of writing, you know. Do you remember signing it? Do you remember this leaflet or how it happened? You don't remember. Yeah, it's very frustrating because nobody remembers this, and I signed that paper was the decision in the church? No, it was Sergio

00:52:28.399 - 00:52:43.310

had nothing to do with it. I think it was, but I think it was at the Assumption Church in Pahara, I think it was or maybe it was at the, I don't, I don't remember where, but it was on February 8th and it was a big

00:52:43.310 - 00:53:04.310

one the what the paper said it said. We need to think about different things we can do to But the, the paper was, I don't know who wrote it originally, but it was it was passed out to all the strikers and it had a bunch of

00:53:04.310 - 00:53:23.909

signatures at the bottom, including yours. Was Oscar Rios was Oscar Rios the Oscar was not a striker. He wouldn't, but he was one of the supporters. He came from. He said, Well, you know, Oscar, um, I mean that was what was interesting, but let me tell

00:53:23.909 - 00:53:50.379

you this, if he's from or or um. It's the what I told you with Lopez is the Jose Lopez see by the person, the helper, the support and the support meeting, uh, Cruz Cruz Gomez, if those people they mention you give us to sign we sign

00:53:50.379 - 00:54:12.155

because we believe in them. We believe uh like I told you, uh, from Barde or uh Joe Fay or Karinaeji was his wife. Or, uh, you know, like I talk to her, yes, and maybe because we there's the 5 or 6 people we believe them, you

00:54:12.155 - 00:54:40.679

know, because they were very um honest to us. Well, you know we didn't even understand what the paper said, but if they give us like let's win the strike, dost about this and that. Well, I mean the rally at the gates and then to Or to

00:54:40.679 - 00:55:03.040

rally at Callahan Park and then march to the park that day yeah all the ruckus started we had their planes, the helicopters, the, the, the, we say Las Foros Armada, the first, you know they came because they said because they see the flyer. I remember that

00:55:03.040 - 00:55:29.270

they say this use the stra to win the strike and blah blah. And We work I remember and all we say barricada all those uh soldiers was around the cannery they are because we have that. Because we want to get the canary that day. I remember

00:55:29.270 - 00:55:49.879

was that day we want to get into the canary but um. I mean, what was interesting to me. Um, You hear so much talk. About well there were the people who worked with Oscar and then there were the people who worked with TDU and people didn't

00:55:49.879 - 00:56:11.919

work together. What struck me about this leaflet was that everybody signed it, you know, Shavella signed it, you signed it. Gloria signed it, uh, Esperanza, Torre signed it. Um, everybody wanted to do something. Nobody was happy with the way the strike was going. Um, and I

00:56:11.919 - 00:56:26.459

think the phrase that caused all the trouble with the police was We need to do whatever it takes to win. And the police decided that meant you were gonna go out there and burn the city to the ground or something we're gonna do something bad, bad,

00:56:26.469 - 00:56:52.979

very bad, no, we want to get into the, you know, uh, we, we were in that TDU meeting before and then we, we have a lot of supporters, a lot of people who came to support TDU in 1986 after the Uh, around the time the Shaw

00:56:52.979 - 00:57:12.219

workers decided to settle, was TDU still having regular meetings then? It was, yeah, I think so. How often? Well, sometimes when we have problems because my husband. The the other husbands and I say, well, we're gonna get divorced because we're doing a lot of stuff they

00:57:12.219 - 00:57:33.639

don't, and I say why you do that? You just look for another job and that's what he was telling me, you know, and I said. Jeez how often maybe before was once a week, but after when we get into the cannery, we start with this another

00:57:34.169 - 00:57:54.364

group to support the school district, not to support, you know, if I tell you. He didn't, but I know he was involved in the teachers union and uh I wasn't in the in the school yet. I was in the hospital with the but we get together

00:57:55.655 - 00:58:24.699

to because uh to push. The school district to have better, better education, you know, for the more helpers, more. Computers to have more science and things for the, you know, we did that then we were in the in the you know the human rights committee. I

00:58:24.699 - 00:58:41.389

was in after the strike we were it was in different things yeah I mean I know a lot of stuff happened in the strike was over district elections and you know um. Many, many changes we make a lot of changes, believe it. The only thing that

00:58:41.389 - 00:59:04.709

make me happy, that's because after the strike, Watsonville was different, was different because we make a lot of changes like a, uh, with the, with the teachers to be bilingual 100% because, uh, I, I, I cannot teach English. It's supposed to have a person who speak

00:59:04.709 - 00:59:23.030

good Spanish to teach Spanish, you know, has a lot of good changes here in this town. You know this is something that Other people have told me I I'm. Didn't plan on writing about much about what happened after the strike was over, but people say that's

00:59:23.030 - 00:59:40.639

the real story. That's where the real victory was. Um, it wasn't, you know, the, the contract that you signed when you went back to work was nothing to brag about. You, you took a pay cut, but the city was transformed. The town was transformed. The people

00:59:40.770 - 01:00:02.540

were, were different, you know, people had much more confidence. They were much more we feel like people respecting us more like a like a um. Yeah, we say in espanol ganamos el peto la mirac respect and admiration because the woman's together we didn't care about if

01:00:02.540 - 01:00:25.169

we don't eat today or we don't have nothing to eat tomorrow. We get together for respect not we're not as slaves. I want to make one ask you one last time about February 1986 when you were having those meetings. Um, The idea was to plan for

01:00:25.169 - 01:00:50.139

a big week of. Activities in, in, you know, in the middle of February, um. And There were at least 1 or 2 meetings to plan. Uh, I know about this because Joe Fahey was brought up on charges before the Teamsters, and I have the The record

01:00:50.139 - 01:01:06.500

of his trial. Um, And you know they described it in some detail, you know, what exactly happened, but if you were at those meetings, if you were involved in planning of those demonstrations, I wanted to get your memories of them if you remember anything about it.

01:01:09.780 - 01:01:34.459

Not, not much, not much, but. We were planning those meetings a lot of stuff and, and we said let's do it and let's do it like before we had two meetings before that big march you said yeah. Yeah, you know, planning like a strate we say

01:01:34.459 - 01:01:57.040

stress how are we gonna do this? How are we gonna get the people to believe us, to not to not to believe that because the the union don't, don't support us in that. Did you One of the ideas that came out was, and I know Frank

01:01:57.040 - 01:02:13.340

Barda he kept pushing us and pushing it, we need to get all the canneries to come out, all the frozen food plants seem to go on strike. Um, Did you see that? Did you believe that could happen? Do you think it would be possible, would have

01:02:13.340 - 01:02:31.060

been possible? I don't think so because, you know, uh, people looking at us like how many months in a strike and we didn't do anything. I say we don't want to be like you guys, you know, but, but all the, I don't know if I understand

01:02:31.060 - 01:02:53.149

your question, but all that like a, like a green giant, all those companies. They, they closed and they they took it to Mexico because they were afraid of us, you know. But that didn't happen until later. Yeah, but I mean I don't think it uh. We

01:02:53.149 - 01:03:12.370

it's gonna be, you know, people's support to get in strike at it because we, it had like a the other company was um. My husband used to work in the fields with rosettiro, he didn't want to go. They don't want to go on a strike to

01:03:12.370 - 01:03:28.300

ask you about Croset because I know they did actually refuse to accept the contract at first. The first time and then just shut shut down for two weeks with that at all? I mean, I know they had regular meetings to argue about the contract. Yeah, we

01:03:28.300 - 01:03:46.489

went there, but they say, oh, those strikers, we don't want the strikers there, yeah, they don't want us there there's actually the Silver, I guess there's a couple of scenes of the workers at Cross arguing and I I think Esperanza Contreras is in one of them,

01:03:46.590 - 01:04:03.445

and she's telling them don't accept this. This is not a good contract and we tell them and then some of them they say, yeah, why you telling us that and you see how many months you're in. and you don't win anything, but they did, they did

01:04:03.905 - 01:04:22.689

stay out at first, not even 2 weeks, yeah, 2 weeks, 3 weeks, 2 weeks, yeah. Do you know this is something I'm not clear about either. I don't know if you know the answer to it, but When they went back to work. One of the things

01:04:22.699 - 01:04:41.439

that people really did not like about the contract at Richard Shaw. was there was a, it, it said if Mort Conso. Settles for less money than I'm agreeing to now. I'm going to pay you guys $585 but if Markonso, if you settle with him for like

01:04:41.439 - 01:04:57.330

less than that, I'm going to automatically bring my wages down too. I don't remember that. You don't remember that. Yeah, that was, that was the clause and the, you know, like well, no, it was, it was in the, it was in the contract, and I, I

01:04:57.330 - 01:05:20.489

know. It, it put you guys in a terrible spot because You had to Fight for at least you couldn't settle for anything less than 55 or everybody's wages would come down even further, you know. Yeah, but we were really, really strong. We don't care if people

01:05:20.489 - 01:05:48.270

don't care to go, you know, we, you know, the what's some mechanic ladies, we were strong like I say, if they went in there, nothing we can do. And, and I went there to work and they fired me. You were fired, yeah, after the settlement, after

01:05:48.270 - 01:06:03.600

the second week I thought you were a shop steward there for a little while after that at Nor. Yeah, yeah, I was there, but I said that Richard, Richard Chow was there and they fired me because they say you guys, why you want to strike if

01:06:03.600 - 01:06:25.439

you were the same thing, you know, when I went there, uh, the sheriff was Gloria. It was me and myself, but I didn't really like it. I said I don't want to bother these people anymore. I tell myself they suffer 18 months. We don't win what

01:06:25.439 - 01:06:48.879

we want. We have a part or the things we, we was already, you know, lost. I'm leaving. I'm not gonna do this anymore. I, they seem happy. They seem they're, they. They, you know, the families, they get in like a, you know, with the money and

01:06:48.879 - 01:07:04.350

I said you're talking about the people at Richard Shaw now. Yeah, and I say, no, I, I better leave if he, he, they told me if you want to keep talking about, you know, you have a striker, you better leave and I say you. You know,

01:07:04.760 - 01:07:34.270

um, I heard this from two people from Sergio and I talked to him, but also from Cuca. Um, that everybody was supposed to contribute $5 a week to help the strikers. And that Richard Sergio said this was the plant where they continued to pay $5 you

01:07:34.270 - 01:07:56.040

know, to keep the strike fund. Did you know that you know about that, but for a few months after the strike. But you know during the strike is what I'm talking about um. Did you, when you were at Richard Shaw, did you find a lot of

01:07:56.040 - 01:08:13.379

tension in the plant? Were people fighting with each other? No, the people accept what they're doing, you know, they put me in a line for packing, packing because I say there's there's the things I always do packing because in the beginning they didn't know I was

01:08:13.379 - 01:08:37.048

a striker. They recognized me then and then I was very hot. You know, and you had to do, I don't remember how many boxes. And I told the girls, why you getting the strike. And you're still suffering the same thing right here. No, I think and

01:08:37.048 - 01:08:59.560

then and then the lady heard what I said, and they, they called me and they fired me. That was the end of it, yeah, you need to finish your 90 days. Before you start talking like that, well. Um, One striker at Richard Shaw, who after they

01:08:59.560 - 01:09:17.810

went back to work, she says, I voted not to go back. And it's very difficult to work there now because the people who are scabbing the Escarollas. They're always snitching on us, you know, we have to work alongside them, but We don't like it, you know,

01:09:19.200 - 01:09:41.770

which one is it? I don't remember her name. She was a newspaper reporter talked to her and she, she said, I, I, I voted against it. Maybe, yeah, Lao and his wife was there too, it was a woman that was being interviewed. Oh yeah, I don't

01:09:41.770 - 01:10:06.149

remember her name. I should have. Brought it with me. Yolanda. She mentioned a few other names. I mean Laura Lauro was a man that's Yolanda's husband, he used to work in the in the Green Giant and he was very strong person there, yeah. There was somebody

01:10:06.149 - 01:10:23.839

else, um, he, he ran for, he ran for uh. Vice president, I think in the election who worked at Green Giant, uh, was it Eddie Eddie Lopez? He was on the TDU slate. I know that he was also on, you know, with Glorive he was on,

01:10:26.959 - 01:10:46.879

you don't know, um. OK, uh. I'm running out of questions now, um. So you don't think it was realistic to say all the plants should walk out. Did you, did you go to any of those meetings, uh, the Crosetti workers were having when they were trying

01:10:46.879 - 01:11:07.100

to decide whether to go? Um, no, because I said, you know, if I go different places, I have problems with him, you know, and, uh, I say I better see only what's on me can when they need me when, when I have to do things because

01:11:07.100 - 01:11:30.700

I lie one time to him and then. Did you, um, were you surprised when the Crossetti workers rejected the contract at first? No, um, as far as you know, did it get any better after they were out for two weeks? Because one thing I'll have to

01:11:30.700 - 01:11:52.370

try, I wish your daughter were here now this is complicated, but. Somebody told me that the language in the contract. Uh changed. When the plant shut down, when the workers went back. The company was no longer insisting, well, if if Watsonville County settles for less than

01:11:52.370 - 01:12:08.720

585, we automatically go down and go down there to wherever he goes. They took that language out. They said if the other plants. settle for less, we have the right to reopen the contract talks. But we have to negotiate over it. We can't just sort of

01:12:08.720 - 01:12:35.089

automatically say we're gonna pay whatever the lowest paying company is paying, which is what Richard Shaw got. Am I making sense here? The only thing I remember like a. We say the country was in English and nobody understands about the country, OK, and then they didn't,

01:12:35.100 - 01:12:55.040

yeah, they didn't translate the Crossetti. Because I know when the shaw workers went back to work, it was they had a bilingual, yeah, yeah, but for for the what we can know at Washington County yeah yeah yeah I'm trying to figure out what happened at Cross

01:12:55.040 - 01:13:14.770

because it seems like. That was the one time when it looked like the strike might actually spread. To other plants. And that was also the one time I know that once Richard Shaw settled for $585 an hour. Um, which is what you eventually settled for. The

01:13:14.770 - 01:13:28.930

union basically was trying to say we're going to make all the plants pay the same amount of money, so they're not competing with each other to see who can pay less. And if what we can make them all pay is 585, and everybody's going to get

01:13:28.930 - 01:13:49.160

585. And the Crossetti workers initially said no, we don't want to take a pay cut. Why should we? Without even a strike, you know, without any resistance at all, and they voted it down. Um, but you know, then the company immediately shut down for two weeks,

01:13:49.220 - 01:14:07.220

and at the end of 2 weeks they went back to work for 585 an hour. Oh, maybe I don't remember those. Yeah, you don't remember. OK, I had to try, because nobody really remembers that because we are too busy about what we were doing here and

01:14:07.220 - 01:14:21.459

I said, you know, I was, I was trying to follow the strike when it was happening and I don't remember anything about ever coming up, you know, I remember there was that big ruckus when the Shah settlement happened and I remember writing an article about it.

01:14:22.160 - 01:14:38.770

You know, the headline said Shaw workers railroaded. Um, but I knew nothing about Crossetti, you know, and then I guess Jesse Jackson came to town right around then. Do you remember that? You don't remember Jesse Jackson making that big speech at that big rally? Well, yeah,

01:14:39.060 - 01:15:03.470

I remember he came and support us, but what was one of those big meetings we had. He came to the to the Park and uh. Speak about, you know, they always say stay together, you know, we admire you guys, be strong, this works, this works, you

01:15:03.470 - 01:15:25.200

know, and we knew nothing they can do. The only. Us, that's the only people we can do something just to make you feel better, yeah, yeah, he comes to say, you know, good, we admire you stay together like Cesar Chavez, you know, and we want, we

01:15:25.200 - 01:15:46.740

don't want to hear words like that. Well, here's something that matter. Um, a few weeks later. When the teamster is petitioned to have the vote. Uh, to keep union representation in the plant. That big vote, everybody assembled the veterans hall and they got taken over to

01:15:46.740 - 01:16:13.700

the plant to vote. Do you remember that vote? he was going to try to decert veterans, yeah, yeah, and to decertify the union and after 12 months on strike, he had a legal right to do it, but the union called for an election after 11 months,

01:16:13.859 - 01:16:41.879

so the strikers would be allowed to vote. Yeah, but we say no that contract because uh uh. Uh I remember the Lopez Sergio Lopez, he stand up and he's playing as one more what was the morean no the person with the, the, yeah, he said that

01:16:41.879 - 01:16:57.299

he offered you this, this and that. I don't, no, no, um, we're talking about something different. I'm talking. I'm talking about in the summer of '86 before Morkonso was talking to you and he was not negotiating at all. Um, and he was going to try to.

01:16:58.410 - 01:17:15.759

Call an election where you would not be allowed to vote, but the scabs would be, and they would say we don't want the union anymore. Do you remember this? When was that? This was in August of 1986. It was right before the first anniversary of the

01:17:15.759 - 01:17:39.430

strike before the strike. No, before the first anniversary of the strike, the strike was a year old, like before the people go on hunger strike, yes, no, this is about 6 months earlier when Mort was still running the plant before he went bankrupt. Um, Oh, it

01:17:39.430 - 01:17:53.950

was a you don't remember that, yeah, OK, we don't have to talk about it. I just wanted to see if the only big meeting I remember was the last meeting. I really remember that, but the people decide to go on hunger strike. What's the name of

01:17:53.950 - 01:18:14.410

the person who took the cannery after the strike, David Gill, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, we talked about that last time. You gave me a good that's the only thing that I remember more. That actually, you know, John Silvers, you know, I miss a lot of meetings

01:18:15.109 - 01:18:30.899

because my, my kids were little. I miss, you know, a lot of she was 2 years old and they gave me and I said, even if you don't want to do what we say, you know, just do it and I follow what you want but you

01:18:30.899 - 01:18:57.259

did vote in that election where they decide to keep the union. Mhm it was a signature, um, no, it was cert certify the union, um, the union they petitioned the National Labor Relations Board we want to have a union in this plant. After 12 months on

01:18:57.259 - 01:19:16.029

strike. The company can have its workers say we don't want a union anymore. And Mort Conso, you know, the owner of the plant, said, um. Well, we'll hold out without the strikers for 12 months, and then we can just have an election and the strikers will

01:19:16.029 - 01:19:34.955

not be allowed to vote after 12 months. Yeah, because they said if you don't accept that we no union. Help with with nothing. That's why we say let's yeah, I think probably you just don't remember this that well you keep going back to the thing. Well,

01:19:35.555 - 01:19:54.990

you know, I think you told me the last time we talked quite a bit about that that you remember that real well, um. I was just interested in what happened in the summer because. I think you told me before that all these people had left town.

01:19:56.169 - 01:20:09.490

To find jobs or because they find different jobs but they all came back to town to vote to keep the union in August. And that somehow everybody stayed in touch with everybody else and knew they had to be there. Do you remember voting? Do you remember

01:20:09.490 - 01:20:26.169

being going down to the union hall, going down to the plant to cast your vote for the union? I don't remember, maybe I wasn't. I didn't say that. I don't know. Yeah, well, you know what, um. You probably covered a lot of things that maybe you

01:20:26.169 - 01:20:46.399

guys know more remember more because you were reading what, what happened, but for me, I keep forgetting like you know I tried to keep an eye on what was happening at the time. I did not know very much. I realize that now. And I've talked to

01:20:46.399 - 01:21:01.520

you know, the person who knows what's going on maybe he had, yeah, and I've talked to Frank a lot. In fact, you know what. I turn this off, I think. Um,