‘Human Billboard’ 12 noon, August 12, at Washington Sq.
D’Arrigo strikers appeal for support in S.F.’s Italian & Asian communities
Dozens of D’Arrigo Bros. workers from the Salinas Valley on Wednesday will take their strike demanding a union contract with the huge vegetable producer to San Francisco’s large Italian American and Asian neighborhoods where much of the grower’s produce is sold. D’Arrigo’s rappini and other specialty vegetables are popular among Italian and Asian Americans.
United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, San Francisco Supervisors Tom Ammiano and Jose Medina, and a number of religious and community leaders will join D’Arrigo strikers "human billboarding" at 12 noon in Washington Square, not far from Chinatown in the heart of The City’s Italian American neighborhood.
During the last two weeks, hundreds of the firm’s 900 Salinas Valley harvest workers have walked off their jobs in protest over D’Arrigo’s failure to bargain in good faith and sign a union contract 23 years after field laborers voted for the UFW. It is the largest job action to hit the Salinas Valley vegetable industry since a bitter and lengthy 1979 strike.
Strikers have turned back attempts to import strikebreakers, especially in rappini fields near Greenfield. The strikbreakers have heeded appeals for support of the walkouts. D’Arrigo also grows brocoli, cauliflower, onions, cactus and mixed lettuce.
Who: Dozens of D’Arrigo strikers in the 12th day of walkouts, UFW co-founder Dolores Huerta, S.F. Supervisors Tom Ammiano & Jose Medina, religious and community leaders.
What: "Human billboard" appeal for support among Italian and Asian Americans who buy much of D’Arrigo’s rappini and other specialty vegetables.
When: 12 noon, Wednesday, Aug. 12, 1998.
Where: Washington Square, Columbus and Union Streets, in the North Beach section of San Francisco–near numerous Italian restaurants and shops as well as Chinatown.
D’Arrigo workers voted for the UFW in a state-conducted secret ballot election held in 1975, shortly after the farm labor law took effect. Current worker grievances include no pension plan, job security or seniority protections, no grievance and arbitration procedure, and a company medical plan that workers can’t afford to use due to costly out-of-pocket expenses.
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