"That we are prepared to give a moratorium to the whole industry on the pesticide campaign for a limited time in exchange for an acceptable contract covering all workers, all crops." Mr. Chairman, in closing I would submit the following: The United Farm Workers Organizing Committee purports to represent the farm workers yet the majority of those workers have not chosen UFWOC as their collective bargaining agent. The charges by UFWOC on wages, working conditions, pesticides and the rest only obscure the real issue. We, the growers, favor federal legislation that would allow the farm workers in the vineyards of California, and, indeed, the nation, to state whether they want UFWOC as their representative, or some other union, or no union at all. This should be part of a comprehensive legislative program dealing with the whole issue of employer-employee relations in agriculture and the right of the American consumer to the free flow of food from the farm to market. Only if the Congress takes action can this controversy be ended forever. # # # # STATE OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF KERN ELEANOR M. SCHULTE ELEANOR M. SCHULTE, being first duly sworn, deposes and says: THAT I AM THE OFFICE MANAGER OF SOUTH CENTRAL FARMERS COMMITTEE; MR. JEROME COHEN CAME TO THE SOUTH CENTRAL FARMERS COMMITTEE OFFICE AT APPROXIMATELY 3:30 P.M., JUNE 10, 1969, ASKED FOR ME BY NAME AND SAID HE WANTED TO TALK TO ME. HE SAID HIS PURPOSE WAS TO HAVE ME PASS ALONG TO OUR GROWERS THE CONVERSATION. IN MOST CASES I CANNOT QUOTE HIM VERBATIM, BUT THE SUBSTANCE IS ACCURATE. HE MADE THESE POINTS ON PESTICIDES: --THE BOARD OF UFWOC (HE MENTIONED THE NAMES LARRY, DOLORES AND PHIL, WHOM I ASSUME TO BE LARRY ITLIONG, DOLORES HUERTA AND PHIL VERACRUZ) HAD MET THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AND VOTED TO MOUNT AN ALL-OUT CAMPAIGN THIS YEAR ON THE BOYCOTT, INCLUDING THE PESTICIDE ISSUE. CESAR DID NOT WANT TO PUSH THE PESTICIDE ISSUE, AND TRIED TO RESTRAIN THE OTHERS, BUT FINALLY AGREED TO GO AHEAD WITH IT IF NECESSARY. THE ONLY ALTERNATIVE TO THIS INTENSIVE CAMPAIGN WILL BE FOR THE GROWERS TO NEGOTIATE. CESAR WANTS TO AVOID THIS INTENSIFICATION BECAUSE IT WILL BE SO DESTRUCTIVE FOR BOTH SIDES. --HE SPOKE OF THE "CRANBERRY SCARE" AND SAID THAT EVERY TIME THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ISSUED A BULLETIN DENYING PESTICIDE POISONING IN CRANBERRIES, IT ONLY MADE THE SITUATION WORSE. HE SAID WE COULDN'T FIGHT THE PESTICIDE ISSUE, AND EVEN "BAXTER AND WHITAKER" WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO WAGE AN EFFECTIVE CAMPAIGN AGAINST IT. --HE CLAIMS THAT TRACES OF DDT HAVE BEEN FOUND IN GRAPES, AND THAT DDT HAS BEEN FOUND TO CAUSE CANCER IN MAMMALS. HE MENTIONED THAT THE "AMERICAN EAGLE, THE SYMBOL OF AMERICA" IS BEING KILLED OFF BY DDT. HE SAID SUITS HAVE BEEN FILED ON DDT, AND MORE WILL BE FILED. I ASKED HIM IF NEGOTIATING WITH THE UNICH WOULD RENDER PESTICIDES HARMLESS, AND HE SAID THAT THE HEALTH AND WELFARE CLAUSES IN THE CONTRACTS COULD PROVIDE SAFETY CONTROLS THAT WILL PROTECT BOTH THE WORKER AND THE CONSUMER. --HE HINTED THAT UFWOC COULD SCARE THE WITS OUT OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WITH THE THREAT OF PESTICIDE POISONING, AND WE COULDN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. --WHEN THE PESTICIDE ISSUE CAME UP WITH SELDON MORLEY, THE KERN COUNTY AGRICULTURAL COMMISSIONER, UFWOC TRIED FOR NINE MONTHS TO SETTLE THINGS QUIETLY, BUT MR. MORLEY AND HIS PEOPLE WOULD NOT COOPERATE AND THEREBY FORCED THE UNION, AGAINST ITS WISHES, TO BRING THE CASE INTO COURT AND INTO THE PUBLIC EYE. --HE SAID THE UNION HAD HAD CONVERSATIONS IN THE PAST WITH JOHN CIUMARRA, JR., AND THAT "WE TOLD HIM WE WOULD MAKE THE BOYCOTT A NATIONAL ISSUE, AND HE LAUGHED, THEN WE TOLD HIM WE WOULD BRING UP THE PESTICIDE ISSUE, AND HE LAUGHED, BUT WE DID ALL THESE THINGS." HE SAID HE HOPED I WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN PASSING ALONG TO THE GROWERS HIS MESSAGE. HE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT ESTABLISHING A LINE OF COMMUNICATIONS, AND THAT I COULD TURN MY OFFICE INTO A NEGOTIATING CENTER. I GOT THE FEELING HERE THAT HE WAS TRYING TO SEE IF HE COULD DETECT WHETHER OR NOT HE COULD GIVE ME DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR ABOUT BEING THE KEY FIGURE IN ENDING THE WHOLE MESS. HE SAID THE GROWERS DO NOT NEED TO BE SO FEARFUL OF NEGOTIATING. HIS EXACT WORDS WERE "THE GROWERS SEEM TO FEEL THAT IF THEY SIT DOWN TO A NEGOTIATING TABLE WITH THE UNION THEY WILL LOSE THEIR VIRGINITY." --I ASKED HIM AGAIN HIS PURPOSE IN VISITING ME AND HE SAID IT WAS TO HAVE ME PASS ALONG TO THE GROWERS THE MESSAGE THAT IF WE DO NOT NEGOTIATE, THE UNION WILL PRESS THE BOYCOTT AND THE PESTICIDE CAMPAIGN, WHICH WILL BE NEEDLESSLY DESTRUCTIVE FOR BOTH SIDES. Richard Bagdasarian Inc., Mali Basta Ranch, and Mr. Grape Vineyards Inc. for the past five years have never purchased Aldrin Insecticide in any form. Nor have we carried this product in any form in our Inventory. Mr. Mike Bozick owner of Mali Basta Ranch and General Manager of Richard Bagdasarian Inc. and Mr. Grape Vineyards Inc. has personally supervised all applications of pesticides on the above mentioned ranches. Having been in the Agricultural Chemical business in Coachella Valley for the past 11 to 12 years we have never had the occasion to stock or sell this product. Yours very truly, DATELAND CHEMICAL V. Duane tih. Jaddin V. Duane McFadden Parter S. Gunne fr Martin S. Grunnet, . Statement of Michael Bozick. This will certify that I, Michael Bozick, owner of the Male Basta Ranch and General Manager of Richard Bagdasarian, Inc. and Mr. Grape Vineyards, Inc., have not purchased, obtained or received the chlorinated hydrocarbide Aldrin and have not applied, administered or used Aldrin in any of my fields during the past four years. Aldrin has not been authorized for use on my property in any form or method during that period. These I have personally supervised all applications of pesticides on our ranches during the past four years. applications were made with our equipment by our employees and there has been no use of the chemical Aldrin during that period. On September 25, 1969, before me, the undersigned, a Notary Public in and for said County and State, personally appeared Michael Bozick, known to me to be the Vice President of Richard Bagdasarian, Inc. and Mr. Grape Vineyards, Inc., the corporation that executed the within instrument, known to me to be the person who executed the within instrument on behalf of the corporations therein named, and acknowledged to me that such corporation executed the within instrument pursuant to its By-Laws or a resolution of its Board of Directors. WITNESS my hand and official seal. OFFICIAL SEAL ETHEL S. BEAL NOTARY PUBLIC-CALIFORNIA Eth IS. Beal Notary Public in and for said ETHEL S. BEAL My Commission Expires Feb. 6, 1970 |