Labor leader Dolores Huerta dies at 96 in California
Co-founder of United Farm Workers union with Cesar Chavez, Huerta championed agricultural workers' rights for decades.
At a glance
- Huerta co-founded United Farm Workers union with Cesar Chavez
- The union campaigned for improved pay and conditions for agricultural workers
- Huerta used strikes, boycotts and protests as organising tactics in the 1960s and 1970s
- She was recognised as a prominent civil rights activist
Dolores Huerta, a prominent labour organiser and civil rights activist, has died in California at the age of 96, her family announced. Huerta co-founded the United Farm Workers union alongside Cesar Chavez, leading efforts to improve wages and working conditions for agricultural workers.
The union conducted strikes, boycotts and protests during the 1960s and 1970s to advance the interests of farm workers. Huerta's activism spanned decades as a key figure in the labour movement.
Why it matters
Huerta was a defining figure in the labour movement whose organising efforts significantly improved conditions for agricultural workers in the United States.
Original reporting
- The Guardian — WorldIconic labor leader Dolores Huerta dies aged 96 in California
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