TEDxFruitvale - Arturo Rodriguez - Why We Need Unions More Than Ever

The laws on the books are often not the laws that exist in the fields for farmworkers. Sixteen California farmworkers have died of heat stress since 2005, when a law requiring shade was passed. Farmworkers need to band together to look out for their own interests. About Arturo S. Rodriguez, president of United Farm Workers: Arturo continues to build the union César Chávez founded into a powerful voice for immigrant workers. Rodriguez has more than 37 years experience organizing farm workers, negotiating UFW contracts and leading numerous farmworker boycott and political drives across North America. He began serving full time with the UFW in 1973, when he first met Chávez, who became his mentor for 20 years. Since the Texas native took over the helm of the UFW upon the passing of its legendary founder in 1993, Rodriguez has increased union membership with an aggressive organizing and negotiating campaign. Among recent UFW victories under Rodriguez's leadership are agreements with one of the nation's top five largest vegetable growers, the biggest strawberry employer in the United States, the country's largest winery, the biggest dairy in the U.S., as well as winery workers in Washington state and mushroom workers in Florida. This talk is part of Session Two: Movement for TEDxFruitvale, which was held on October 14, 2011 at Mills College in Oakland, CA. The conference's theme was Harvesting Change, and it focused on farmworkers, labor and other social justice movements, and fair labor practices in business. http://www.tedxfruitvale.org/ About TEDx, x = independently organized event: In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)