UFW Office of the President: Arturo Rodriguez Records

Collection

Identifier: LR002199

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The UFW Office of the President: Arturo Rodriguez Records consists of files maintained by the UFW president’s office while both Cesar Chavez and Arturo Rodriguez served as president and includes files of collective bargaining agreements, events attended by the president and other UFW officials, public actions undertaken by the UFW, the president’s correspondence, the UFW’s constitutional conventions, the operations of the UFW’s benefit and service organizations, and UFW organizing and boycott efforts, as well as general office correspondence and phone logs for a number of UFW officers. There are also research publications. Files from Arturo Rodriguez, predating his election as president of the UFW are included.

Series Description: Series I: Cesar Chavez, 1972-1993 Series II: Arturo Rodriguez, 1973-1997 Series III: Office Correspondence and Phone Logs, 1969-1996 Series IV: Research Publications, 1938-1993 Series V: Audiovisual Material and Memorabilia, 1975-1996

Dates

1938 - 1997
Majority of material found within 1976 - 1996

Creator

United Farm Workers (Organization)

Language of Materials

Material in English and Spanish.

Access

Collection is open for research.

Use

Refer to the Walter P. Reuther Library Rules for Use of Archival Materials. Restrictions: Researchers may encounter records of a sensitive nature – personnel files, case records and those involving investigations, legal and other private matters. Privacy laws and restrictions imposed by the Library prohibit the use of names and other personal information which might identify an individual, except with written permission from the Director and/or the donor.

History

Arturo Rodriguez became president of the United Farm Workers (UFW) in 1993 upon the death of Cesar Chavez, co-founder and president of the UFW from its start and Rodriguez’s father-inlaw and mentor. Rodriguez was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1949 and attended Catholic schools there. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 1971 and a Masters degree in social work from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1973. Rodriguez learned of Cesar Chavez’s work for farm workers from his parish priest in 1966 and became involved in the UFW’s grape boycott while in college. Thereafter, Rodriguez worked with the UFW and, after graduating from the University of Michigan, Rodriguez went to work full time for the UFW, initially organizing boycotts. His work with the UFW has included organizing boycott efforts, organizing union representation elections, teaching classes on union organizing, negotiating and administering union contracts, working on providing union services and settling worker grievances, campaigning for ballot propositions and political candidates, and serving on the UFW’s executive board.

Upon becoming president of the UFW, Rodriguez led a significant new field organizing and contract negotiating drive, adding substantial numbers of members to the UFW. During his presidency the UFW has also campaigned for new laws and regulations protecting farm workers, including immigrant workers, and sought to provide representation to farm workers by providing them with benefits and services through the UFW.

Extent

69.5 Linear Feet (69 SB, 1 MB)

Additional Description

Abstract

Arturo Rodriguez became president of the United Farm Workers (UFW) in 1993 upon the death of Cesar Chavez, co-founder and president of the UFW from its start and Rodriguez’s father-in-law and mentor. Rodriguez was born in San Antonio, Texas in 1949 and attended Catholic schools there. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio in 1971 and a Masters degree in social work from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 1973. Rodriguez learned of Cesar Chavez’s work for farm workers from his parish priest in 1966 and became involved in the UFW’s grape boycott while in college. Thereafter, Rodriguez worked with the UFW and, after graduating from the University of Michigan, Rodriguez went to work full time for the UFW, initially organizing boycotts. His work with the UFW has included organizing boycott efforts, organizing union representation elections, teaching classes on union organizing, negotiating and administering union contracts, working on providing union services and settling worker grievances, campaigning for ballot propositions and political candidates, and serving on the UFW’s executive board. Upon becoming president of the UFW, Rodriguez led a significant new field organizing and contract negotiating drive, adding substantial numbers of members to the UFW. During his presidency the UFW has also campaigned for new laws and regulations protecting farm workers, including immigrant workers, and sought to provide representation to farm workers by providing them with benefits and services through the UFW.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged into 5 series - Series 1 (Boxes 1-32), Series 2 (Boxes 32-60), Series 3 (Boxes 60-65), Series 4 (Boxes 66-68), and Series 5 (Box 69-70).

Folders are simply listed by their location within each box. They are not arranged, so any given subject may be dispersed throughout several boxes within each series.

Acquisition

The records of the UFW Office of the President: Arturo Rodriguez Records were placed in the Walter P. Reuther Library in June 1991 and March 1998 and opened for research in August 2011.

Related Materials

UFW Office of the President: Cesar Chavez Records

Transfers

Box 70: Audio/video tapes were transferred to the Reuther Library’s Audiovisual Department. Original signed letters to Dolores Huerta in Box 21: 20-21 have been moved to the vault.