1970s United Farm Workers “Boycott Non-Union Lettuce” Buttons – Two Color Varieties

Colorful pair of original 1970s labor and farm workers' movement pinback buttons proclaiming “BOYCOTT! NON-UNION LETTUCE,” each featuring a large illustrated head of lettuce. Offered here as a set of two distinct color varieties: green on white and green on bright yellow.

The buttons relate to the nationwide lettuce boycotts organized by César Chávez and the United Farm Workers as part of their campaign to secure union representation, improved wages and working conditions for agricultural laborers. The campaign followed the highly publicized grape boycott and brought the farm workers' struggle directly to American consumers, who were encouraged to use their purchasing power in support of organized farm labor.

Particularly interesting is the wording “Non-Union Lettuce.” The distinction was deliberate. The UFW did not simply ask consumers to stop eating lettuce; shoppers were encouraged to identify and purchase acceptable union-produced lettuce while refusing lettuce from targeted growers. Period boycott literature instructed consumers to look for the Farm Workers union label or UFW black eagle on shipping cartons. 

Both color varieties are not often seen, and presenting the two together makes an appealing display illustrating the variety of material produced during one of the major consumer-boycott campaigns of the farm labor movement. Original.