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ware Six people from Michigan made up the COMA Teex Force that traveled to the Coachella Velley to understand the full implications of the Teamster-United Farm Worker dispute. The members of the Task Force were the following: Rev. Peter Dougherty, Catholic Campus Ministry, Fastern Michigan University; Pamela Lemerand, student, Wayne State Univer- sity; Sr. Joan Tirak, Cathoiic Campus Ministry, Eastern Michigan University; Stephanie Dabrowski, student, Wayne State University; Marie Parker, student, Eastern Michigan University; Rev. Rey- nard Winkel, Catholic Campus Ministry, Wayne State University. On April 715, 1973, the Teamsters Union announced that it signed con- tracts with a majority of the table grape growers in the Coachella Valley (California). These growers produce 85% of the valley's table grapes. For the pest three years these growers had been under contract with Cesar Chavez' United Farm Workers' Union. One of the first goals of our Task Force was to find out why the UFW was dumped and why the Team- sters were able to move in and take Over as the field workers’ representative. Beginning of the Story Last December at 8 convention of the American farm 8ureau, Teamster Pres. Frank Fitzsimmons proposed an alliance between organized labor and agribusiness to fight Chavez and "his revolutionaries" (NEWSWEEK, May 21, 1973). Incidentally, the Chavez~led UFW is 30,000 members strong. Within months the Teamsters turned their stiention to the teble grape grow- ers of California. Since this is s $200 mMiilicn dollar a year industry, one can understand why the Teamsters would head im iuhis direction. For an overview as to where the tabl: grape vineyards are in Californie, this three part division seems helpful: A) Coachella Valley 10% of orape indus. B) Arvin-Lemont 30% of grape indus. C) Delano 60% of grape indus. The UFW has called strikes in the Coa- chellia Valley end the Arvin-Lamont srea since most of the growers in these place have signed with the Teamsters. Right nc slmost 40% of the table grape industry has signed up with the Teamsters: con- tracts in the Delano area dco not expire until the end of July, 1973. At first the Teamsters concentrated o southern California's Coachelle Valley. With the UFW contract due to expire on April 14, 1973, Teamster organizers went into the fields and by March 1, 1973, they proclaimed to the growers that they had more than 4,100 signatures of field workers who claimed they wanted to be represented by the Teamsters. They were saying, in effect, that they "decerti-~ fied" the UFW union and established then selves (Teamsters) as the farm workers' representative in the table grape indus- try. Some Problems with the Teamster Claims Because of the above there are some Serious problems with tne latest Team- ster move against the UFL. A. There are serious questions about the legitimacy and authenticity of the sig- natures gathered by the Teamsters. NEUS- WEEK's Peter Greenberg (Mey 21, 1973) discovered upon examiniro “he signeturcs that many were remarkably Similar. The « LL leos! desartment is taking deecis 20QGQGs2 VERS UMEMnL 2S King SELLE Te tions under oath from meny ecrke memes annear on the Tertster recitiaor.