Labor: Breakthrough for La Huelgo

Nearly four years ago, Cesar Chavez called la huelga—the strike—against many of California's growers of table grapes, seeking to gain for farm laborers the same rights of union recognition and collective bargaining that industrial workers have long enjoyed. Success at first was minimal. Chavez's United Farm Workers Organizing Committee won few contracts with table-grape growers; three of them have subsequently sold out their table-grape vineyards. In 1968, the union called for a nationwide boycott of California grapes, deepening the hostility between union and growers into seemingly hopeless stalemate.

Now, after more than a month of secret meetings, a major—and unexpected—breakthrough...