By Cartoonist Sergio Hernandez, 2015
Cesar Chavez remains as relevant today as he ever did back in the 60’s when he was one of the hundreds of under-paid and over-worked farm laborers. Today, with the movement led by Fidel Sanchez in Baja California, Mexico, Chavez’s spirit continues his work south of the border.
According to news sources, agriculture industry and government officials have basically forced many of the strikers back to work because after the nearly two weeks of being on strike, it nearly crippled the economy to an estimated amount of tens of millions of dollars. The strike stopped harvest in the San Quintin region 200 miles south of San Diego.
“Talks on Friday ended in acrimony after labor leaders rejected an offer by agribusinesses to boost wages by 15%. But after growers offered the raise to anyone who returned to work, the fields filled with pickers.Wages remains the sticking point. Labor leaders, who initially wanted 300-peso daily wage rates, have dropped their demand to 200 pesos, about $13 a day. But growers said their offer to boost wages 15%, from an initial 6% increase, is final. Any higher amount, they said, would lead to an economic collapse.”
For Mexican farm workers, their struggle has just begun but they have the legacy of Chavez to lean on whenever the fight becomes overwhelming. Keep going Fidel Sanchez– you got Cesar Chavez standing tall beside you.
–Elia Esparza Twitter: @Eliawriter
About Sergio Hernandez Los Angeles-based Sergio Hernandez is an accomplished Chicano artist and cartoonist having started his artistic career in the 1968 with Con Safos Magazine. Aside from illustrating stories for the publication, Hernandez also developed the cartoon strip “Arnie & Porfi,” who explored issues confronting the Chicano community. He continues to do political cartooning and painting.
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