Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC), AFL-CIO

Civic and Social OrganizationsOhio, United States11-50 Employees

FLOC began in the mid-1960s, when Baldemar Velásquez 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. These corporations have the wealth and power to change the harsh realities that many farmworkers face. FLOC seeks a structure where all those in the supply chain work together to solve problems: corporations, growers, and farmworkers.

Through the many successes of FLOC, conditions of our members have changed dramatically over the years. Not only have wages increased, but housing and other conditions have been improved. The greatest improvement, though, is that workers have a direct voice in their conditions through collective bargaining agreements that include an effective process for resolving grievances and problems. The FLOC movement continues to grow by building a strong popular base of supporters interested in justice. Corporations have tremendous economic and political power, but millions of people who mobilize in support of justice can collectively tip the balance of power to benefit farmworkers.

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