Boycott Non-Union Lettuce White

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In 1970, the United Farm Workers conducted a strike against the International Brotherhood of Teamsters called the "Salad Bowl Strike. It became the largest farm worker strike in United States history. Within that strike was the nationwide boycott of non-union lettuce, called by Cesar Chavez.

The boycott began when the price of lettuce tripled after thousands of Teamster representatives prevented the majority of the nation's lettuce from reaching consumers. The strike ended when a contract was created that allowed the Teamsters, and not the UFW, to access farms and organize workers unions. However, this created a new issue, since the UWF no longer had jurisdiction over workers. On August 23, thousands of workers walked off the job, leading to the shipments of lettuce nearly ceasing. The strike ended on March 26, 1971, when the Teamsters and UFW signed an agreement restating the UFW’s right to organize field workers. Eventually, the strike, which became violent, led to the 1975 California Agricultural Labor Regulations Act (CARLA).