Dolores Huerta, labor rights movement icon, dies at 96 after a life of organizing
Reported by MS NOW ·
A force in farm labor
Huerta championed the rights of migrant laborers in California, organizing strikes and boycotts against agricultural companies. She also negotiated contracts offering strong benefits for workers during the 1960s.
Family announces her death
Huerta’s family announced that she died Wednesday at age 96. In a social media post, relatives asked for privacy as they grieved and said they would share plans to recognize her life and legacy. The family said many people around the world shared in their mourning.
Huerta’s account of Chávez
Huerta told the Times that two of her 14 children resulted from those encounters. Her accounts emerged alongside allegations that Chávez groomed and sexually abused young girls involved in the labor rights movement.
Key points
- Dolores Huerta died Wednesday at 96, her family announced.
- Huerta co-founded the organization that became the United Farm Workers with César Chávez.
- She organized strikes and boycotts and negotiated worker contracts in California during the 1960s.
- Huerta told The New York Times that Chávez raped her in 1966 and pressured her into sex in 1960.