Re "The withering of the UFW," Opinion, Dec. 7
Miriam Pawel's criticism about a contract between the union and one of the largest Salinas Valley vegetable growers was aimed at the wrong target. Too often, the union is battling powerful companies that shamelessly let their farmworkers suffer. The workers who fought alongside the United Farm Workers for the D'Arrigo Bros. contract had representatives who were part of the negotiations from the beginning. To treat their contract or any improvement in their lives as insignificant only represents ignorance of this struggle. It is agricultural companies, not the UFW, that hurt farmworkers. The UFW should be applauded for fighting the good fight. After 32 years, victory for farmworkers took place when the ink on that contract was finally dry.
