1985–1987 Watsonville Cannery strike: Industry and Labor in Conflict

The 1985-1987 Watsonville Cannery strike was a pivotal moment in the history of labor relations in the United States.

The strike was called by the United Farm Workers (UFW) in response to the mistreatment of Mexican-American and Filipino-American farmworkers by the canning industry.

The UFW, led by César Chávez, had been advocating for better working conditions, higher wages, and greater respect for farmworkers.

The canning industry, on the other hand, was driven by profits and saw the farmworkers as a means to an end.

The strike began in 1985 and lasted for two years, with the UFW organizing boycotts, pickets, and other forms of protest to bring attention to the plight of the farmworkers.

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The 1985-1987 Watsonville Cannery strike was a pivotal event in labor history, and understanding its causes is crucial to grasping its significance.

Workers at Watsonville Canning and Richard A. Shaw went on strike in 1985 due to drastic reductions in their base pay and benefits.

Additional reading: Companies Act 1985

The company owners claimed they had to cut pay to compete with cheaper products flooding the domestic market, but this move had a devastating impact on the workers.

Prior to the strike, union workers earned $7.06 hourly, but after a previous pay cut, they were left with $5.85 an hour.

The Teamsters Local 912, which represented the cannery workers, was formed in 1952, and its members had been fighting for better wages and benefits ever since.

In 1982, Watsonville Canning cut hourly wages from $7.06 to $6.66, citing the need to avoid bankruptcy, and this move set the stage for the 1985 strike.

Other food processors soon followed suit, asking the union for similar wage cuts, which further exacerbated the situation.

The workers' pay had been previously cut by 40 cents per hour, leaving them with a meager income that made it difficult for them to make ends meet.

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The labor union, International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 912, played a significant role in the 1985-1987 Watsonville Cannery strike.

By 1985, about 70 percent of Local 912 members were Latino, but the union's leaders were mostly white and didn't always understand the members' needs.

The union had managed to get good wages and employee benefits for workers, with hourly pay up to $7.05 for most workers.

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The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) became a major union in the food processing industry in the 1930s and 1940s. By 1952, IBT Local 912 was formed in Watsonville to represent cannery workers.

IBT Local 912 was very close to the business owners, some even calling it a "company union" because its leaders seemed to work more with the companies than for the workers. By 1985, about 70 percent of Local 912 members were Latino, but the union's leaders were mostly white and didn't always understand the members' needs.

Union meetings were only in English, and for a long time, only one leader spoke Spanish. Most union members were women, but they were not represented in the leadership. Despite these problems, the union had managed to get good wages and employee benefits for workers, with hourly pay up to $7.05 for most workers.

In 1985, workers at Watsonville Canning and Frozen Foods went on strike because their base pay and benefits had been drastically reduced. Most striking workers were Latina.

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Industry Trends have played a significant role in shaping the California canning industry.

In the 1970s, California had a "virtual monopoly" on processing certain vegetables, but this dominance was short-lived.

The 1980s saw a significant shift in the industry, with more frozen foods coming from countries like Mexico and Guatemala, where labor costs were much lower.

People's preferences for fresh food over frozen or canned food led to a decline in demand for processed vegetables.

Many canneries in California closed, resulting in thousands of job losses.

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The strike began on September 9, 1985, with workers gathering at the union hall, getting their picket signs, and heading to the factory gates.

The picket line at Watsonville Canning stretched for eight city blocks, with many signs in both English and Spanish, and some workers even bringing their children.

The company and district attorney quickly asked a judge to limit the picketing, resulting in a temporary restraining order that limited the number of pickets at each gate and how close they could be to each other.

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This made the strike much harder for the workers, who were already facing a tough situation with their pay and benefits being drastically reduced.

The Watsonville City Council increased funding for their police department, and officers worked long shifts to keep an eye on the picketing, even arresting several strikers for breaking the restraining order.

Watsonville Canning also took steps to reduce the number of pickets allowed, putting up more fences and mailing workers their last paychecks instead of letting them pick them up at the plant.

The strike was a long and difficult one, lasting 18 months and taking a great economic toll on the Watsonville strikers, who lost their paychecks and benefits, and some even lost their savings and possessions.

Despite the challenges, the strikers remained united, with the phrase "No striker scabbed" becoming a rallying cry, and they were provided with a $55-per-week strike benefit in return for picketing or other union work.

The strike ultimately ended with a settlement that included a 17 percent pay cut for the workers at the Richard A. Shaw Company, with $5.85 per hour becoming the standard industry wage.

In October 1985, about 3,000 supporters marched to the Watsonville Canning plant for a "Solidarity Day" rally.

The strike's daily activities were managed by a Strike Committee made up of workers from both plants, which included 24-hour picketing and giving out food.

On October 28, 1985, union members voted 800 to 1 to reject Watsonville Canning's offer of a base hourly pay of $5.05.

In December 1985, Local 912 held elections, and more active and determined candidates ran against the current leaders, resulting in the election of new union officials.

On March 8, 1986, another rally drew about 4,000 supporters, including political activist Jesse Jackson, who gave a speech there.

By June 1986, many strikers had found other jobs or even moved away from Watsonville, but the Strike Committee held a big rally with over 4,000 people, including members of Chicano organizations and the United Farm Workers.

In August 1986, Watsonville Canning's owner, Mort Console, asked the National Labor Relations Board to hold a vote to remove Local 912 as the workers' union, but the union members won the vote, and the effort to remove the union failed.

A different take: Insolvency Act 1986

In late 1985, the strike in Watsonville was gaining momentum. On October 6, about 3,000 supporters marched to the Watsonville Canning plant for a "Solidarity Day" rally.

The strikers were taking matters into their own hands, electing their own Strike Committee on October 15. This committee, made of workers from both plants, managed the strike's daily activities.

Watsonville Canning offered a base hourly pay of $5.05, but strikers rejected this offer on October 28, with a vote of 800 to 1. The union members were not swayed by this proposal.

On November 3, another rally drew about 3,000 supporters, showing the strike's continued strength. Local 912 held elections in December, with more active and determined candidates running against the current leaders.

The union president, Richard King, was not reelected, and Gloria Betancourt's bid for president was unsuccessful. However, other determined members were elected to leadership positions.

In March, the strike continued to gain attention, with a rally on International Women's Day drawing about 4,000 supporters. Political activist Jesse Jackson gave a speech at this rally.

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In early 1986, the Strike Committee held a big rally in Watsonville with over 4,000 people, including members of Chicano organizations and the United Farm Workers.

Jesse Jackson, who was running for president, spoke at the rally and compared the strike to the Selma to Montgomery marches during the civil rights movement.

By this time, many strikers had found other jobs or moved away from Watsonville, but Local 912 worked hard to get union members to come back and vote against removing the union.

In August 1986, Watsonville Canning's owner, Mort Console, asked the National Labor Relations Board to hold a vote to remove Local 912 as the workers' union.

Console hired more strikebreakers to increase the non-union votes, but the union members still managed to win the close election and keep the union in place.

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The Watsonville Cannery strike had a profound impact on the lives of the women who participated in it. Sylvia Baltazar, one of the strikers, was visited by filmmaker Jon Silver almost four decades after the strike.

The strike was a struggle not just for workers' rights, but also for the dignity and well-being of individual strikers. Paula Hernandez remembered the pain of urging other women to stand fast with the strike when they were clearly suffering.

The women of the strike were often forced to make difficult choices, such as selling their wedding rings or family cars, just to make ends meet. One woman's home even went into foreclosure.

The strike showed that even in the face of adversity, people can come together and fight for what's right. Paula Hernandez's realization that she should look at the strike through the eyes of those who were suffering was a powerful moment in the story.

The Watsonville Cannery strike was a pivotal moment in labor history, and its legacy continues to be felt today.

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