October 28, 2026

The following is a statement by UUP President Fred Kowal on the death of United Farm Workers co-founder and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta:

“Today, we mourn the loss of Dolores Huerta, the trailblazing labor leader and civil rights crusader who co-founded the United Farm Workers union and gave a voice to the voiceless agricultural workers who grow and harvest crops on America’s farms.

“As unionists, UUP leaders and members stand in awe of this strong, vibrant Mexican American woman who was arrested nearly two dozen times and put herself in great peril as she worked to advance the causes she believed in with heart and soul.

She was the embodiment of the union spirit. Huerta was a tireless union organizer who led boycotts, job walkouts and strikes during the 1960s and 1970s—actions that led to the unionization of thousands of table-grape and lettuce growers and improved the lives of countless numbers of migrant workers.

“Even as, for decades, she carried the dark secret that she was raped by her UFW co-founder, Cesar Chavez, Huerta found the inner strength to fight on for workers, immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community. Through her efforts, Huerta politically and economically elevated California’s sprawling Latino communities. She never stopped caring.

“UUP honors this incredible woman, dedicated union leader and dogged social justice warrior.”

Read the AFL-CIO’s statement on Huerta HERE.

Read statements from AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFT Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus HERE.