Statement by UFCW International President Joseph Hansen in Support of President Obama’s Plans to Establish a Monument in Honor of Cesar Chavez

Washington, D.C. –The following is a statement issued by United Food and Commercial Workers International Union President Joseph Hansen:

The UFCW applauds President Obama’s plans to establish the California home and workplace of the late Cesar Chavez as a national monument.  As the head of the United Farm Workers Union, Cesar Chavez was one of the greatest labor leaders in the United States who dedicated his life to fighting for predominantly Latino farmworkers, and his massive grape boycott in the 1960s will always be remembered as one of the most successful strikes in labor history.  His life has served as an inspiration to generations of Latinos who have continued to fight for better opportunities and dignity and respect on the job, and it is fitting that this monument in being dedicated during the 50^th anniversary of the United Farm Workers Union.

The UFCW represents workers from all parts of the world working side by side together in our nation’s meatpacking, food processing, and poultry plants, as well as supermarkets and retail stores, and many of our workers are immigrants.  We are proud of the diversity of our 1.3 million members, and will continue to honor the legacy of Cesar Chavez as we fight for social justice in the workplace.

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The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) represents more than 1.3 million workers, primarily in the retail and meatpacking, food processing and poultry industries. The UFCW protects the rights of workers and strengthens America’s middle class by fighting for health care reform, immigration reform, living wages, retirement security, safe working conditions and the right to unionize so that working men and women and their families can realize the American Dream. For more information about the UFCW’s effort to protect workers’ rights and strengthen America’s middle class, visit www.ufcw.org.