Statement of New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento on Cesar Chavez

Albany, NY - The New York State AFL-CIO has spent decades fighting for the dignity and rights of all working people, including farmworkers and women. We categorically denounce the horrific actions of Cesar Chavez as detailed by the New York Times.  

Yesterday, during a regularly scheduled meeting of the New York State AFL-CIO’s Women’s Committee, members had an impassioned discussion about the importance of speaking truth to power and our collective responsibility to believe survivors, to center dignity and respect in our movement, and to confront harm wherever it occurs, especially when it implicates those in positions of power who were thought to be free from bias and hatred. 

We honor Dolores Huerta’s courage and the bravery of the other women who came forward after decades of silence, and we stand with all survivors of abuse.

Dolores has spent nearly a century of her life fighting for the dignity of working people. She stood on picket lines. She built a movement from the ground up while the world told farmworkers and women that they didn't matter. All the while, she and others carried a burden that no one should ever have to carry alone.

Sexual violence has no place in our unions, workplaces, or communities, and we commit to accountability, education, and creating spaces where everyone is safe, respected, and heard to help prevent this kind of harm from happening again.

Our Women’s Committee continues to lead on issues that matter; they’re driving this work, and it’s making a real difference across our movement. 

The Union Movement is proud to have led the fight to achieve groundbreaking protections and rights for farmworkers here in New York State. We will continue to fight for what is right, just, and true to ensure that all workers are treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.

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The New York State AFL-CIO is a federation of 3,000 unions, representing 2.5 million members, retirees, and their families, with one goal: to raise the standard of living and quality of life of all working people. We keep New York State Union Strong by fighting for better wages, better benefits, and better working conditions. For more information on the Union Movement in New York, nysaflcio.org.