Farm Workers Create Unions

During the Great Depression thousands of migrant workers moved to California from all around the United States. With all of them coming in, the farms cut the wages down and laid off many workers. From 1929-1933 the wages dropped from $3.50 to $1.90 per day. In addition, the head farmers created a three year residency rule. As a result, most workers were disqualified from working. The workers started getting frustrated by these rules and created unions to fight for their rights. In 1933 alone there were 50 strikes. One of the most famous events where the workers fought for their rights was the Cotton Strike. It took place in San Joaquin Valley, California. The cotton pickers were getting a dead low 40 cents each for every 100 lbs of cotton they collected. The angry hordes of farmers led many strikes leading to deaths and a number of families getting evicted. After a while, the government of California issued a rise in the wages to make it $1 each for every 100 lbs they picked. There were many other strikes related to this one involving Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino workers, all of which had the workers fighting for their rights. Altogether 47,500 people took action in the strikes. Some of the more famous unions included the Cannery and Agricultural Workers’ Industrial Union. Overall, there were many strikes and many unions held throughout the Great Depression that helped make some of the rights that farm workers worked for.