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Dolores Huerta, United Farm Workers co-founder who accused César Chavez of sex abuse, dead at 96
Dolores Huerta, the labour activist who co-founded the United Farm Workers and became a prominent civil and women’s rights campaigner, has died aged 96. Her work helped improve conditions for agricultural workers and made her a major figure in the US labour movement.
Huerta died at home in Bakersfield, California, surrounded by family, her foundation said. She and César Chavez formed the National Farm Workers Association in 1962; it later joined another group to create the United Farm Workers. Huerta helped lead the Delano grape strike and a nationwide boycott, which ended in 1970 with agreements covering 10,000 workers. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 and, earlier this year, publicly accused Chavez of sexually abusing her.
In short
- Labour activist Dolores Huerta has died aged 96.
- She co-founded the United Farm Workers and helped lead the Delano grape strike.
- Huerta received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and later accused César Chavez of abuse.
Explained simply
Dolores Huerta was a US labour organiser who worked with César Chavez to build a union for farm workers, many of whom faced low pay and difficult working conditions. Their group became part of the United Farm Workers, which used strikes and consumer boycotts to press growers for better terms.
Huerta also campaigned for civil and women’s rights, and became a prominent figure in the US labour movement. The union’s history is closely tied to Chavez, whose leadership and legacy have since been questioned by allegations of sexual abuse.
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