House Resolution 25-1004 Introduced

House Resolution 25-1004

• Page 1, Line 101Concerning recognition of "César Chávez Day" and

• Page 1, Line 102honoring Dolores Huerta.

• Page 1, Line 1WHEREAS, Césario Estrada Chávez was born on March 31, 1927,

• Page 1, Line 2on a small farm near Yuma, Arizona, and was raised by migrant farm workers; and

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• Page 1, Line 4WHEREAS, During the Great Depression, César Chávez's family,

• Page 1, Line 5like many other families, became migrant workers. They joined hundreds of thousands of workers who followed crops to Southern California; and

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• Page 1, Line 7WHEREAS, César Chávez left school after eighth grade to labor

• Page 1, Line 8in the fields and vineyards of the Southwest to help support his family; and

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• Page 1, Line 10WHEREAS, In 1944, at the age of 17, César Chávez joined the

• Page 1, Line 11U.S. Navy and served his country until receiving an honorable discharge in 1946; and

• Page 1, Line 12

• Page 1, Line 13WHEREAS, After experiencing years of discrimination and unfair

• Page 1, Line 14working conditions, César Chávez dedicated his life to improving the plight of farm workers; and

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• Page 2, Line 2WHEREAS, César Chávez and fellow activist Dolores Huerta

• Page 2, Line 3formed the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, which later

• Page 2, Line 4became the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), to help farm workers win equal rights and fair treatment; and

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• Page 2, Line 6WHEREAS, Dolores Huerta, who was born in Dawson, New

• Page 2, Line 7Mexico, in 1930, became a focused activist, organizer, and feminist and

• Page 2, Line 8brought forward a unique voice on behalf of women to ensure economic justice for all workers; and

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• Page 2, Line 10WHEREAS, In 1965, Chávez and Huerta organized a strike of

• Page 2, Line 11California grape workers to demand higher wages and urged Americans to boycott table grapes as a show of support; and

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• Page 2, Line 13WHEREAS, César Chávez believed in the principles of

• Page 2, Line 14nonviolence practiced by Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King,

• Page 2, Line 15Jr., and used tactics such as boycotts, marches, strikes, and fasts to gain

• Page 2, Line 16millions of supporters and new members for farm labor unions across the United States; and

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• Page 2, Line 18WHEREAS, By 1970, Chávez and the UFW had persuaded grape

• Page 2, Line 19growers to accept union contracts and had successfully organized almost the entire industry; and

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• Page 2, Line 21WHEREAS, During a fast by Chávez in 1972, Dolores Huerta

• Page 2, Line 22coined the phrase "¡Sí se puede!", which in English means "Yes, it can be

• Page 2, Line 23done!", reflecting a conviction that workers can successfully organize and secure rights; and

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• Page 2, Line 25WHEREAS, The work of César Chávez was informed by his

• Page 2, Line 26devout Catholic faith, and he favored images of Our Lady of Guadalupe at marches and demonstrations; and

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• Page 2, Line 28WHEREAS, In 1975, Chávez and Huerta and the UFW's efforts

• Page 2, Line 29resulted in the California "Agricultural Labor Relations Act", a groundbreaking law protecting the right of farm workers to unionize; and

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• Page 2, Line 31WHEREAS, Chávez tirelessly devoted himself to making people

• Page 2, Line 32aware of the struggles of farm workers and their need for better pay and

• Page 2, Line 33safer working conditions; and

• Page 3, Line 1WHEREAS, César Chávez, Dolores Huerta, and the UFW achieved the following:

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• Page 3, Line 3●The first collective bargaining agreement between farm workers and growers in the continental United States;

• Page 3, Line 4

• Page 3, Line 5●The first union contracts requiring rest periods, clean

• Page 3, Line 6drinking water, hand washing facilities, and clothing protective against pesticide exposure;

• Page 3, Line 7

• Page 3, Line 8●The first ban on pesticide spraying while workers were in

• Page 3, Line 9the fields and the first ban on DDT and other dangerous pesticides;

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• Page 3, Line 11●The first and only performing pension plan for retired farm workers;

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• Page 3, Line 13●The first union contracts regulating safety and sanitary

• Page 3, Line 14conditions in farm labor camps and banning discrimination in employment and sexual harassment of female workers;

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• Page 3, Line 16●Abolition of the use of "el cortito", the infamous

• Page 3, Line 17short-handled hoe that disabled generations of farm workers; and

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• Page 3, Line 19●Extension of state coverage for unemployment, disability, and workers' compensation to farm workers; and

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• Page 3, Line 21WHEREAS, On April 23, 1993, César Chávez died peacefully in his sleep in San Luis, Arizona; and

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• Page 3, Line 23WHEREAS, In 1994, President Bill Clinton posthumously

• Page 3, Line 24awarded César Chávez the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the United States; and

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• Page 3, Line 26WHEREAS, César Chávez influenced and inspired millions of

• Page 3, Line 27Americans to seek social justice and civil rights for the poor and disenfranchised in our society; and

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• Page 3, Line 29WHEREAS, It is important to continue César Chávez and Dolores

• Page 3, Line 30Huerta's legacies of advocating for the rights of agricultural workers,

• Page 3, Line 31including efforts currently underway; now, therefore,

• Page 4, Line 1Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the Seventy-fifth General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

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• Page 4, Line 3That we, the members of the House of Representatives, honor

• Page 4, Line 4March 31, 2025, as "César Chávez Day" in recognition of both César

• Page 4, Line 5Chávez and Dolores Huerta, two inspiring leaders who have improved the working conditions, safety, and dignity of so many.

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• Page 4, Line 7Be It Further Resolved, That copies of this Resolution be sent to

• Page 4, Line 8former State Senator Rob Hernandez, who, with State Representative

• Page 4, Line 9Frana Mace, was the prime sponsor on Senate Joint Resolution 99-043,

• Page 4, Line 10"Recognizing César Chávez"; former State Representative Fran Coleman;

• Page 4, Line 11former State Senator Polly Baca; former State Senator Abel Tapia; each

• Page 4, Line 12member of Colorado's congressional delegation; Dolores Huerta of the

• Page 4, Line 13Dolores Huerta Foundation; the César Chávez Peace and Justice

• Page 4, Line 14Committee of Denver, c/o Dr. Ramón Del Castillo, co-founder of the

• Page 4, Line 15committee and retired professor and chair of the Chicana and Chicano

• Page 4, Line 16Studies Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver;

• Page 4, Line 17Woodbury Library in Denver; the members of the Pueblo City Council;

• Page 4, Line 18César Chávez Academy in Pueblo; Denver Mayor Mike Johnston; and the members of the Denver City Council.