September 21-27
September 21, 1986
On this day, farm workers in Central Washington, most of them Latino, founded the United Farm Workers of Washington State. Its purpose is to give farm workers a collective voice to combat workplace abuses such as extremely low wages.
The United Farm Workers of Washington State began independently of the AFL-CIO. In 1995, the union secured its first contract for workers. This contract would bring an end to a strike by laborers against the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery.
September 22, 1949
On this day, about 200 pickers for the Church Grape Juice Company, Vineyard No. 6, in Kennewick, strike for higher wages. J. G. Kelly, publisher of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, owned the company, which arranged for two strikers to be arrested after they gave a press interview.
After five days, the company and the workers settle at a higher rate, 15 cents per lug (about 35 pounds) of grapes picked.
September 1947
On this month in 1947, the Seattle public school system hired Thelma Dewitty and Marita Johnson as its first African American instructors. Dewitty was hired as a second-grade teacher at Cooper Elementary School in West Seattle. Marita Johnson was hired to teach a course in household service at Broadway-Edison Technical School.
This post is in partnership with HistoryLink, and Warren Seyler, former chairman Spokane Tribe of Indians, the Black Muse Resource Center, and the Living Arts Cultural Heritage.
We encourage you to engage in further research through your local historic societies, museums, archives, and community.
