◆ SpookStack

~lug of grapes (22 lb. box). i 3iscussions about the strike *ake up the zarly part of the afternc . «round 5:00 a.m. there usually is a susategy meeting in the park’ and then it i ome for sup- ger and early to bed--mor'..iig comes fast. vhen we left the Coachella Valley June .23 the spirits of the strikers were high ‘ang they did not eppear discouraged des- aite the obstacles that they were facing. EC. Why do meny remain in the fields ‘and work, even though ttey know there is 3 Cesar Chevez-led strike? XY times, 4) true. It hes been seid that no strike among field workers could be successful and at perhaps the UFW wonders if this is Mexico is only an hour's drive ? from Coechella and so legal and illegal aliens can come up and make some quick money curing thy harvest time. These are poor pesple and are interested in making a buck; the fact that they are in the fields working does nat necessarily mean they do not support Cesar Chavez. Also, it is no revelation to know that some of the last people who find out ebout ex- loitation are the exploited themselves. ‘p (, the liberation cause that some farm- — ogy." orkers support is not always understood by their fellow vorkers. As one person told us, “the poor want bread not ideaol- Hence it is relatively easy for the growers and Teamsters to break the strike with people from Mexico. But as __.we left the Coachella Valley, two fac- _tors seem to indicate that the strike is taking its toll on the growers. First, the UFW organizers claim that increasingly they hear that the people in the fields are ready to come out and juin the strike. There have been a lot of compleints abouthou they have been treated by the Teamsters. Second, the growers are not getting a good price for tmeir grapes and hetce may just be break- ing even; thet indeed is not their goal! Here are some facts on this point. Grow- _eTS consistently stated to us that it costs them about $7.00 to produce ane A #1 box of perlettes (type of grape) was selling for $8.00 a Jug when we left the Coachel-, “la Valley, ording to Mr. Steinberg, 6 erowrr who gned with the uFWU. However, creat ces] of the orapes sent to market the T they ate a -ters @ - ees - j re mot getting the #1 prices. UfFu lead- _ets told us that #2 perlettes are getting $7.00 end $7.50 per lug and if this is hace true the growers are not making any money --just bre 4 even. Four cfowers, Steinberg, «io..no, Karahacien, enc Keyan Stated ini \p Riverside County Peily * Enterprise gune 13, thet if prices go be- Tow $7.50 per lug they will lose money. All this is interpreted by the UFu forces 85 good news. They say grower problems Bre due to the fact that inexperienced pickers are working in the fields (the good ones are on the picket line): the Qrapes are being packed poorly; the vines were not thinned properly in the spring and so the growers are paying for it now in terms of quality grapes. Recent Violence in Coachella Cesar Chavez has long told his fol- lowers that they will win, but only if they stick to their principles of non- violence. In recent days this philoso- phy of the UFW has really been put to the test. During our last week in Coecheila there were numerous minor scuffles and fights. Both sides were guilty of "dis- turbing the peace” to some degree. But on the whole Lt. Jack Reid, spokesman for the Riverside County Sheriff's of- fice, said that the recent incidents hac been generated by “unprovoked attecks" by Teamster security guards (N.Y.Times, Sune 27, 1973). We can attest to this last statement. The Teamster "gcons" as the UFW strikers call them, were ar- Tested for beating up a priest in a lo- cal cafe; fighting with local people at a@ neighborhood ice cream stand; kidnep and attempted murder; stoning the car Cesar Chavez was riding in. Surely, they have added to this list since we left Coachella, fortunately, with no bruises. What is so ironical is that recently the Teamsters have hired a public tela- tions firm, Hoover-Gorin & Associgiss, for $1.3 million to help them impreve their image! Incidently, one of the Teamster strong men beat up @ repre- sentative from this firm while w in Coachella.. Apparently, money not buy everything. Public relation firm notuithstanc- ing, the Teamsters have an im their own and it hangs out wu trey go. Trtec on the uy iil Grari, Western Conference of Teamsters. Gre