César Chávez Day
About two decades ago, then-California Gov. Gray Davis signed into law a bill that made the state first in the nation to officially celebrate the birth of farm workers’ rights advocate César Chávez.
The bill was introduced by former Assemblyman Richard Polanco, who had Antonio Villaraigosa and Tony Cárdenas as principal co-authors. The lawmakers justified adding another holiday in the state to highlight the achievements of the labor and civil rights leader.
Since then, state offices and schools close March 31. The occasion is supposed to be commemorated with education, civic and community service under the direction of state agencies. According to AB 985, students and community groups are entitled to hold commemorative events while the Department of Education has included curriculum to teach pupils about “La Causa,” as many Chávez followers called the movement.
The goal was to not only recognize the deceased labor leader, but to engage Californians in positive actions to benefit others.
With the bill came controversy as well. Some criticized the measure due to its cost in tax dollars, including extending another paid holiday to government employees. Unfortunately, those concerns proved justified, as what began as an educational celebration became just another paid leave for bureaucrats.
On Tuesday, the county Board of Supervisors approved a Memorandum of Understanding with three bargaining units — the Management Unit, the Professional Employee Group and the Confidential Clerical Bargaining Unit. The labor accords include a 2.2 percent salary increase starting immediately and similar increases for the next two years. County staff said the salary increase and the other benefits included will cost $1.1 million. The increase also extends to unrepresented department heads, unrepresented elected department heads and unrepresented professional employees.
The labor agreement also formally recognizes March 31 as a holiday, although the local government has already been observing it. Just this year, César Chávez Day fell on Saturday, so local employees got the Friday before off. And in 2019, when the holiday will fall on Sunday, it is very highly likely county, state and city offices, along with schools, will shut down the following Monday.
The holiday has simply turned into another reason to have a barbecue at home or spend the weekend at the beach.
The same is true of other holidays like Veterans Day and Memorial Day, for example. One can easily find more people at shopping malls than the small but truly valuable crowds at ceremonies held to remember those who fell or survived defending our country.
Of course, not everyone celebrates César Chávez Day with a credit card or a barbecue grill. Select organizations such as Brawley’s Institute for Socio-Economic Justice and California Rural Legal Assistance, just to name two, have been known to commemorate the date at the local level.
One group unlikely to get a paid holiday on March 31 in the foreseeable future is the very group whose rights the labor leader fought to protect. Farm workers aren’t covered under county labor negotiations, so if they’re going to have a barbecue on César Chávez Day, it will be on their own time.
What an irony.