PHOENIX — The United Farm Workers (UFW) said Tuesday it is canceling its César Chávez Day commemorations after learning of allegations that the late labor leader engaged in abusive behavior involving young women and minors, according to statements reported by The Associated Press, The Guardian, USA Today and the Los Angeles Times.
The union said it has received no direct complaints and has no firsthand knowledge of the claims but called them serious enough to halt participation in events marking Chávez’s March 31 birthday. The organization said pausing celebrations would allow time to review the allegations and provide space for anyone who may have been harmed to seek support and share their experiences if they choose.
In a separate statement, the UFW Foundation said it had canceled all Chávez Day activities this month. The women-led nonprofit described the allegations as shocking and incompatible with its mission to protect vulnerable communities and said survivor safety and healing remain its priority.
The Cesar Chavez Foundation said it was aware of what it called disturbing allegations and is working with leaders in the farmworker movement to support people who may have been harmed and to establish confidential processes for sharing experiences. Both groups declined additional comment to news organizations, according to AP.
Organizers in several cities have canceled or renamed Chávez-related events in recent days following the statements, USA Today and AP reported. The full scope and origin of the allegations were not immediately clear.
Chávez, born in Yuma, Arizona, was a central figure in the modern farmworker movement. He co-founded what became the United Farm Workers in the 1960s and led strikes, marches and boycotts that helped secure contracts improving wages and working conditions for agricultural laborers. He also undertook prolonged public fasts, some lasting weeks, to draw national attention to nonviolence and the struggles of farmworkers, according to the Los Angeles Times and AP. He died in 1993 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom the following year.
EXTERNAL LINK → Read the statement from United Farm Workers
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