California blueberry pickers strike, vote in union

United Farm Workers

BAKERSFIELD, California — Farmworkers picket during May 16-18 strike by about 400 blueberry pickers against Klein Management in McFarland, California, 25 miles north of here. Within a few days a union election was set, and on May 21 workers voted in the United Farm Workers, 347 to 68.

Some of the workers traveled that evening to the 20th UFW convention taking place here. “We started out getting $1 a pound,” José Hernández, 30, one of the blueberry pickers, said. “Then they went down to 95 cents, 85, 80, 75 and finally to 60 on Monday. We went on strike. It was too low.”

“As the volume of blueberries getting to market increases, the price per pound drops,” a company press statement said. “Such an adjustment is common, and happens every season, based upon changing market conditions.”

Workers at the farm said other issues were dirty bathrooms, lack of water in the fields and lack of respect from the foreman.

— LAURA GARZA