About a dozen Chávez family members, including César’s younger brother, Librado "Lee" Chávez, who lives in San Jose, Calif., attended.

"It’s important for people to know the suffering my brother went through to help the farm workers," Librado Chávez said before the event. "Workers need to keep the (labor) contracts that others fought so hard to get."

In 1993, Chávez’s family and friends established the César E. Chávez Foundation to educate people about his life and work. Librado Chávez is the former president of another organization called Chávez Family Vision.

The César Chávez National Holiday Coalition is gathering signatures asking Congress to designate March 31, also the day the UFW was founded, as César Chávez Day.

The petition, online at www.ufwaction.org/campaign/chavezholiday, seeks to celebrate the day throughout the United States with a federal paid holiday and a day of service and learning in public schools.

"We have to let everyone know that people like César Chávez, who stood up for the little guy, is what America is all about," said Martin Rodriguez, a member of the Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 971.

George Nelson, chairman of United Auto Workers Local 2162, retired chapter, spoke about how his union and its then-leader Walter Reuther supported the farm worker movement in the 1960s.

"It’s important that we get the message to younger Americans that the benefits workers receive today such as livable wage and health care benefits are the work of organized labor," Nelson said.

Music at Monday’s event was provided by Salvador Anguiano and Casadores de Nevada.

Nine winners in the Washoe County School District César Chávez essay contest were announced.