Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1973)
"Editorial Some things worth more than money Several months ago, the Eugene Friends of the Farmworkers instituted a lettuce boycott in Eugene against Safeway stores to protest the use and sale of non FFW-union scab lettuce to an unenlightened consumer public. That same group recently talked to University President Robert Clark about the implementation of this same scab lettuce, used in the campus dormitories and the EMU. A moral controversy followed and finally the group was turned down. Clark said: “It is the responsibility of persons interested in the cause of the farmworkers to enlist the students to hear their cause. The University should not make the choice for them. “If students can be persuaded,” Clark added, “not to eat this lettuce ... it will disappear from the shelves.” Clark said that if students refuse to buy salads or have lettuce on their hamburgers at the Erb cafeteria and don’t eat it in the dorms, the University will respond to the pressure, and eventually change their policy. The issues surrounding this lettuce boycott are not complicated, the situation that had developed is. The average farmworkmg family of four in America has a total yearly income of $2,800—well below the poverty level. The working season for the lettuce pickers often contains only about 83 days out of each year and individuals (adult workers) fluctuate from $1400 to $1800 a year in average income. Accidents, infant mortality and the chance of disease is from 250 to 300 per cent higher than the national worker’s average; and the total lifespan of the farmworker is only 49 years compared to over 70 years nationally. Clearly injustice and inequity have been and is being committed upon the farmworkers of California and in other states. Moral ethics, University policy and many other important moral issues also all play an important part in the con troversy. The United Farm Workers lettuce boycott issue, therefore, goes much far ther than whether or not scab (non-union) or UFW lettuce is sold in the Erb or used in the University’s dormitories. The UFW is not and never has been a union which is made up of highly paid executives or bureaucratic money-making leaders. The UFW is the only farmworkers union which has been able to unite the many different ethnic and cultural classes (the farmworkers) into one group. This UFW union has constantly been forced to struggle to gain even partial recognition from the growers, and through this lettuce boycott they hope to gain some support from the consumer public also. The only acceptable California iceberg (head) lettuce, according to the UFW group, is delivered in crates bearing the UFWr trademark—a black eagle and the initials ‘UFW’. The boycott not only concerns the lettuce pickers but also concerns every other type or kind of manual farmworking labor that is ex ploitive and unfair, they say. This UFW head lettuce, and only this, should be bought. Any other California lettuce use remains only a substitute and is not acceptable. Lettuce coming from outside California is not involved in the boycott, and California Romaine, Endive or Red Leaf is not also. If President Clark needs to be ‘alerted’ to the urgency of student opinion on the issue, then it is our responsibility as students (and individuals) to make our opinions heard. If students feel strongly enough against the use of scab, non-UFW union iceberg lettuce, then the students (and also the faculty) as well as the community should take a firm stand against it. Although President Clark says that he does not “believe the University ought to be used as a tool” of the farmworkers and that “the University should not make the choice” for students, the issue still en dures. It is up to everyone to either support the lettuce boycott, and what it represents overall, or they can continue to allow the farmowners and produce suppliers of this nation to use this University and its consumer public as a “tool” against the farmworkers and students of America. The University has the responsibility to buy only UFW or non-California-iceberg I lettuce, and not just act as a wholesale purchasing agent taking the lowest bid (quality-cost ratio) that is available . . .> some things are worth more than money. .etters Election letters Therf will be no limit on the number of kitlers accepted by the Emerald during Ita upcoming general ASUO presidential election. Letters intended for publication must be typed, double-spaced and no more than 2541 J*ords in length. All letters must be signed in ink with accompanying address, phone number, and class status at the Univer sity. No more than one letter from any one person will be accepted for each election. All letters must be submitted to the Emerald office. 301 Allen Mall no later Ilian d p.m, Wednesday for the general election to be held the following Monday an(l Tuesday The early deadline is necessary so that all letters may be Published before election day. Letters previously received and applicable to candidates running in the general election "ol be published. Candidate interviews interviews for possible Krnerald en nrsement of presidential candidates in I * general election will be conducted as °*« candidates receiving the most j.jJf ***' interviewed Wednesday at the second runner-up at 4:15 p.m. pmni*lvs w'*i be conducted in the mer“ld office, :ioi Allen. One more insult! and c|0«e more lnsu*t from the University ,T frominently displayed in Rm ders I ep*10ne Killing and Service Or Sjpn, ,? Emerald Hall is the following more ,rUpanc'y of this phone booth by Prohibit a" <■ 153 students is strictlv the | **” 'such an attitude on the part of Universe,CrSlly may :ndicate why the y is such a great place to be from. Don Cramer 3rd yr. law t <S>/973 neat' *Vgm-7?MS-WOK §hlj6.D&4(£RRsr_ mwMI w 1 YjKM "/////////A WATERGATE . k: 2— Don't b«* careless In the Wednesday UPI Roundup story “Vietnamese announce POW release,” the Emerald exhibited the kind of uncritical reporting that helped gain popular ac ceptance for our government’s Indochina war. South Vietnam is the southern part of Vietnam. In South Vietnam, there are two competing administrations called the Republic of Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of South Vietnam Both administrations have in ternational recognition and both were parties to the Paris agreement To refer to the Republic of Vietnam headed by Thieu as South Vietnam, or its supporters as the South Vietnamese, is not being objective. Worse, it supports con tinued U.S. intervention in Indochina. If that happens to be Emerald editorial policy now, please tell us on the editorial page If not, try not to be so careless. Dennis Gilbert Graduate student Petty politicking Again we see the juvenile and petty politicking of the past years of Co-op Board Elections in Ms. Reich’s letter of April 30. Her letter is rife with spurious claims and emorional appeals Item One. The use of the Emerald for cheap publicity on election day, while ignoring its use as a public forum during the rest of the year. Item Two: The attempt to seek election by maligning the present Co-op board. Item Three: The attempt to elect a clique of friends to the board to gain “democratic” control. Item Four: The presentation of a program of action, on the part of the novice board member, that the entire board has been putting together over the past year. Congratulations to the Emerald for at least the good sense to reject that part of her letter with the names of Ms. Reich’s “solid block of concerned people” (a clique) and promoting an election where the membership of the Co-op can vote for individuals on personal merit. Pieter T. Dykman Graduate, Geography Co-op Board Member 529-52-3605
