Rodriguez, Arturo Salvador << roh THREE gays, ahr TOO roh sahl vuh THAWR >> (1949-…), is a Mexican American labor union leader and activist. He became president of the United Farm Workers of America (UFW) in 1993 after the death of its founder, Cesar Chavez. The UFW is a labor union that works for fair treatment for migrant workers and other farm laborers. Rodriguez became known for his role in helping to organize a 16-year grape boycott to fight for better working conditions for laborers.
Rodriguez was born in San Antonio, Texas, on June 23, 1949. He received a bachelor’s degree in sociology from St. Mary’s University in 1971 and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Michigan in 1973.
Rodriguez began to participate in UFW grape boycotts during his college years. He met Cesar Chavez in 1973 and married Chavez’s daughter Linda in 1974. After working with Linda on boycotts in Michigan, Rodriguez campaigned in California on behalf of the UFW in representation elections. In such elections, employees vote to determine which, if any, labor organization will represent them in negotiations with their employer. Rodriguez also trained union organizers and helped farmworkers demand better housing, education, and workplace safety.
From 1981 to 1989, Rodriguez served on the UFW national executive board. From 1981 to 1984, he managed union operations for the California table grape, wine grape, and tree fruit industries. In 1984, the UFW called for a new international boycott of California table grapes. A central goal of the boycott was the elimination of harmful pesticides.
In 1996, Rodriguez launched a new campaign to help 25,000 strawberry pickers win higher wages and secure safe working conditions. The union held marches and demonstrations nationwide. In 1997, 30,000 workers and their supporters marched through strawberry fields in Watsonville, California. Although few strawberry workers won the right to join a union, many growers raised wages and improved conditions as a direct response to the campaign. Rodriguez ended the international grape boycott in 2000, declaring that many of the worst pesticides had been eliminated from California fields. During the 2000’s, he continued to lead the UFW in its efforts to improve farm workers’ lives, including advocating for a living wage for farmworkers and a medical plan for farmworkers and their families.
