Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), AFL-CIO

FLOC began in the mid-1960s, when Baldemar Velasquez convinced a small group of migrant farmworkers in northwest Ohio to come together for their common good. Initial successes generated strong reactions in the agricultural industry, which has been structured to benefit those at the top, while exploiting those who labor at the bottom. It took several years for FLOC to build a base among farmworkers in the area. Since then, FLOC has built a membership of thousands of migrant farmworkers by incorporating two key principles: 1. Farmworkers need a voice in the decisions that affect them: Allowing workers to form a union and collectively bargain with their employer is the only way to address the huge imbalance of power and provide an effective structure for self-determination. 2. Bring all parties to the table to address industry wide problems: Large agricultural corporations have created a supply chain that enriches its executives at the expense of those who work in the fields. The...