Lodi to Thornton, April 6

Agustín Lira, Doug Rippey, Felipe Cantú, and Luis Valdez performing in The Three Grapes at a rally during the march to Sacramento, Thornton, 1966. Photo by John Kouns.

On the morning of April 6th, a mobile phone that had been installed over a vehicle traveling with the marchers rang. It was Chávez, announcing to the strikers as they marched through the Tokay vineyards near Lodi that Schenley Industries had officially recognized the union by signing an agreement with the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), marking the first grower to do so. The contract negotiations were set to start within 30 days. After a lunch in Lodi at Legion Lake Park, marchers walked another 13 miles to Thornton where they spent the night celebrating in a Catholic Church. (Go to Day 22)

Agustín Lira performing in at a rally during the march to Sacramento , Thornton, 1966

On the evening in Thornton, Agustín Lira from Teatro Campesino performs as “Conscience”. A banner hangs with the writing, “Schenley Sí! DiGiorgio No!” That morning in Lodi, marchers learned that Schenley Industries had signed a union recognition agreement with the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), prompting them to pressure DiGiorgio to do the same. Thornton, California, April 6, 1966. Photo by John Kouns.

Agustín Lira performing in at a rally during the march to Sacramento, Thornton, 1966

On the evening in Thornton, Agustín Lira performed as Governor Brown, part of a Teatro Campesino response to Gov. Pat Brown’s refusal to meet with the marchers at their final destination in Sacramento. Thornton, California, April 6, 1966. Photo by John Kouns.

Doug Rippey and Luis Valdez performing in The Schenley Contract at a rally during the march to Sacramento, Thornton, 1996

On the evening in Thornton, Doug Rippey (“Schunley”) and Luis Valdez (Di Gorgio Fruit Corp.) from Teatro Campesino improvised the act, The Schenley Contract. That morning in Lodi, marchers learned that Schenley Industries had signed a union recognition agreement with the National Farm Workers Association (NFWA), prompting them to pressure DiGiorgio to do the same. Thornton, California, April 6, 1966. Photo by John Kouns.

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