In the past week, social media posts have circulated announcing a Farm Labor Strike in Los Angeles and Bakersfield, reportedly led by undocumented farmworkers and Flor Zaragoza.
Zaragoza, the founder of Celebration Nation, is known for using her platform to spotlight the ongoing injustices faced by farm laborers.
She announced the strike on July 5, sharing the message on social media with the hashtag #HuelgaParaLaDignidad. According to Zaragoza’s posts, the strike demands include a path to citizenship, an end to deportations, and protections for all undocumented essential workers.
While the strike has received support from individuals, various communities, and coverage by news outlets, many people have questioned why some well-known farm labor organizations and nonprofits are not participating.
In an interview with LA Taco, United Farm Workers spokesperson Antonio De Loera-Brust explained, “The UFW is not involved with calls for farm worker strikes originating on social media. The UFW always supports workers deciding to take action, but we are not engaged in this effort and were not made aware of these posts before they went up.”
The strike is set to take place from July 16 to July 18. Organizers are urging a nationwide boycott during those three days, asking the public to avoid shopping and working in solidarity with striking farmworkers.
However, established farm labor organizations like the Dolores Huerta Foundation have stated they will not participate in or partner with the strike. Several groups emphasized that boycotts require careful planning to ensure they are effective and do not inadvertently harm the workers they aim to support.
During a Tuesday morning press conference in Los Angeles, one farmworker shared his personal story about broken promises of citizenship. Holding up his tax documents, he said he has paid taxes for more than 19 years without gaining any rights or legal status.
“Do you know why I paid them year after year? Because of the promise of a path to citizenship—of legalization,” he said. “This is my testimony to show that I am not a criminal, that we are not criminals.”
