Sweat dripped down the men's backs as they struck their hoes through the brittle dirt. The hot sun and the cloudless skies beat down on the hard working men far below. The deafening roar of the plane engine above warned farm workers that the air is being sprayed with dangerous pesticides; their lungs and faces burn as they struggle to breathe in the air contaminated with the thick chemical poison. Without anyone advocating for the protection of these workers, they were mercilessly exploited by the hands of farm owners. No one helped the cause of the farm workers more than Cesar Chavez. Through his dedication, he won the rights for farm workers to unionize, as well as improved working conditions, and prevented discrimination and harassment.
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The most important part of the social security net he created, was “the first comprehensive union medical benefits for farm workers and their families through a joint union-employer health and welfare fund, the Robert F. Kennedy Medical Plan, which has paid out more than 250 million in benefits” (About Cesar Chavez). This established a fund paid by both the union and the employers that provided health benefits for farmers, a necessity as farmers often get hurt in their line of work. He also succeeded in providing a more stable income for farmers by “extending to farm workers state coverage under unemployment insurance, disability and worker’s compensation, as well as federal amnesty rights for immigrants” (About Cesar Chavez). Extending coverage, compensation, and amnesty rights helped establish a more stable income for farmers as well as guaranteeing rights for all immigrants. Cesar Chavez also helped provide a stable income for retired farmers by enacting “the first and only functioning pension plan for retired farm workers, the Juan de la Cruz Pension Plan, with present assets of more than $100 million” (About Cesar Chavez). Farmers who often lived on inadequate salaries laid out little money for retirement, so the fund was essential to prevent retired farmers from living in destitute
The most important part of the social security net he created, was “the first comprehensive union medical benefits for farm workers and their families through a joint union-employer health and welfare fund, the Robert F. Kennedy Medical Plan, which has paid out more than 250 million in benefits” (About Cesar Chavez). This established a fund paid by both the union and the employers that provided health benefits for farmers, a necessity as farmers often get hurt in their line of work. He also succeeded in providing a more stable income for farmers by “extending to farm workers state coverage under unemployment insurance, disability and worker’s compensation, as well as federal amnesty rights for immigrants” (About Cesar Chavez). Extending coverage, compensation, and amnesty rights helped establish a more stable income for farmers as well as guaranteeing rights for all immigrants. Cesar Chavez also helped provide a stable income for retired farmers by enacting “the first and only functioning pension plan for retired farm workers, the Juan de la Cruz Pension Plan, with present assets of more than $100 million” (About Cesar Chavez). Farmers who often lived on inadequate salaries laid out little money for retirement, so the fund was essential to prevent retired farmers from living in destitute