¡Arriba Chávez!

PHOENIX, ARIZONA

On Cesar Chávez’s birthday, March 31, Arizona joined California and Texas in honoring the late farm-labor leader with a special day of recognition. Spearheading the Arizona action were the state Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, its affiliated unions, and a coalition of other labor, Hispanic, community, business, religious and student organizations.

The ultimate goal: to create a national Chávez holiday.

AFSCME played a prominent role in the Arizona drive.

David Mendoza, legislative director of AFSCME’s Arizona Council 97, served as treasurer of the campaign committee. Mendoza is now leading a petition drive to put the national holiday on a statewide ballot in November.

The current measure, SB1206, establishes an official day of recognition — not a paid, legal holiday. It personifies the spirit and determination of the farm worker, and exemplifies the struggle of the civil rights movement to achieve justice, equality and fairness for all people.

Elsewhere, legislation to establish a paid holiday on Chávez’s birthday has passed in the state senate in California —where Chávez did his most notable work — and is now being debated in the assembly. Its prospects for passage in the assembly look good. The state already has a Chávez recognition day, a non-paid memorial day, enacted in 1994.

Texas enacted its optional Chávez holiday in 1999. It gives state workers the choice to miss work in honor of Chávez by giving up another state holiday. New Mexico has a bill pending.