Baldemar Velasquez facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Baldemar Velásquez
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Melvin Rios and Baldemar Velasquez at the Columbus, Ohio, Rally for Immigrants Rights on 2006-03-26.
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| Born | February 15, 1947 |
| Occupation | Labor leader |
| Known for | President, Farm Labor Organizing Committee |
Baldemar Velásquez, born on February 15, 1947, is an American leader who fights for workers' rights. He helped start and now leads the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), a group that helps farmworkers. He won a special award called the MacArthur Fellow (sometimes called the "Genius Grant") in 1989. In 1994, Mexico gave him its highest award for non-citizens, the Order of the Aztec Eagle.
Contents
Early Life and Growing Up
Baldemar Velásquez was born in February 1947 in Pharr, Texas. He was the third of nine children. His parents, Cresencio and Vicenta, worked as migrant farmworkers. This meant they traveled to different states like Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Texas to pick crops.
A Childhood on the Move
Baldemar started helping his parents in the fields when he was just four years old. His family followed the harvest seasons, moving from the Southwest to the Midwest each year. They often rode in a pickup truck with a canvas cover. To stay warm, they huddled around a can of hot ashes.
Life was tough. Sometimes, the whole family lived in just one room. One winter, snow blew into their small shack through cracks in the walls. Another time, his father was only paid half of what he earned.
Settling Down and Finding His Voice
In 1954, his parents settled in Gilboa, Ohio. They worked in the fields in summer and in a cannery during winter. Baldemar knew very little English when he started first grade, which made school hard at first.
Even though he was a good athlete, he was often made fun of for his Mexican American background. But Baldemar was a natural leader. At age 12, he led his first strike at a summer job. He helped other pickers win better wages. He later became an excellent student and went on to high school.
Choosing a Path
A high school English teacher encouraged Baldemar to go to college. In 1965, he started at Pan American University in Texas. He planned to study engineering. But learning about Texas history opened his eyes to how Mexican Americans and farmworkers were treated unfairly.
With help from a priest, he transferred to Ohio Northern University and then to Bluffton University. He graduated in 1969 with a degree in sociology. At Bluffton, a professor named Dr. Lawrence Templin, who was a pacifist and knew Mahatma Gandhi, greatly influenced Baldemar. Templin taught him about peaceful ways to fight for justice.
Baldemar also volunteered with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), a civil rights group. In 1969, he married Sara Templin, Dr. Templin's daughter. They had four children together.
Fighting for Farmworkers' Rights
Baldemar Velásquez and his father started the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) in September 1967. Baldemar was inspired by leaders like Gandhi, César Chávez, and Martin Luther King Jr.. His main goal was to help farmworkers get better pay, housing, and education.
Early Efforts and Challenges
At first, Baldemar focused on local farmers. In September 1968, FLOC called a strike against 10 tomato growers in Ohio. Five growers soon signed agreements with the union. They agreed to a minimum wage, some health insurance, and promised not to treat union members unfairly.
However, many growers fought against the union. Some even stopped growing tomatoes. Others tried to improve conditions just enough so workers wouldn't join the union. This made Baldemar realize he needed a new plan.
Taking on Big Companies
In the 1970s, Baldemar decided to target large national and international companies. He realized it was a mistake to only focus on individual farmers. From 1970 to 1983, FLOC worked to gain public support. They shared stories of low wages, bad working conditions, and unfair treatment faced by farmworkers.
A big moment happened in 1976. Workers at a tomato cannery in Indiana went on strike. They even stayed inside the cannery, refusing to let the crops be processed until their demands were met. This strike brought a lot of attention to the workers' struggles.
The Campbell Soup Boycott
Baldemar decided FLOC's next big target would be the Campbell Soup Company. His idea was "three-way bargaining." This meant Campbell's would pay a little more for produce. In turn, growers could then pay farmworkers much higher wages.
In 1978, about 2,000 farmworkers went on strike against growers who supplied Campbell's. Baldemar made sure all strikers were trained in nonviolent protest. He also worked with churches, so many religious leaders were present, which helped prevent violence.
When Campbell's said it wasn't their problem, Baldemar announced a boycott in 1979. In 1983, he led a 560-mile protest march from Ohio to Campbell's headquarters in New Jersey. He also put pressure on other companies whose leaders were also on Campbell's board.
After two years of this widespread campaign, Campbell's finally agreed. On February 23, 1986, they signed the nation's first three-way agreement. This was a huge victory for FLOC and the farmworkers.
Expanding the Fight
After the Campbell's victory, FLOC signed agreements with other big food companies like Dean Foods and H. J. Heinz Company. When growers worried about competition from cheaper produce from Mexico, Baldemar even traveled to Mexico. He successfully convinced Mexican unions to raise their wages, helping to balance the playing field.
In the 1990s, FLOC began organizing cucumber pickers in North Carolina. They targeted the Mount Olive Pickle Company. Again, when talks failed, Baldemar led a boycott. He personally led a 70-mile march. On September 16, 2004, FLOC signed a major agreement with Mount Olive. This was the first union contract for farmworkers in North Carolina.
In 2010, Baldemar Velásquez and FLOC joined another boycott. This time, they protested JPMorgan Chase for its actions against homeowners. That same year, he was chosen to help create global working condition standards for farmworkers.
Other Ways He Serves
In 1990, Baldemar Velásquez earned a degree in practical theology. He later became a chaplain.
He has also served on the boards of many organizations. He helped organize a big meeting in 1991 about environmental justice for people of color. He has also been on the boards of Policy Matters Ohio, the University of Toledo, and the Toledo Zoo. In 2010, the Governor of Ohio appointed him to a state panel that helps Hispanic/Latino people.
Awards and Recognition
Baldemar Velásquez has received many honors for his work.
- In 1988, he received a Bannerman Fellowship for helping people fight for justice.
- In 1989, he was named a MacArthur Fellow, often called the "Genius Grant."
- In 1994, he received the Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award.
- Also in 1994, he received Mexico's highest award for non-citizens, the Aguila Azteca Award.
He has also received honorary degrees from several universities, including Bowling Green State University and Bluffton College.
Images for kids
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Melvin Rios and Baldemar Velasquez at the Columbus, Ohio, Rally for Immigrants Rights on 2006-03-26.
