Movie Night features unsung heroes of grape strike

The “Labor Movie Night” series presents the documentary “The Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers” Friday, Oct. 16, at 6 p.m. in Room 467 of the United Labor Centre, 312 Central Ave., Minneapolis. Admission is free.

“The Delano Manongs” (USA, 2014, 29 minutes) tells the story of farm labor organizer Larry Itliong and a group of Filipino farm workers who instigated one of the American farm labor movement’s finest hours – the Delano Grape Strike of 1965 that brought about the creation of the United Farm Workers Union.

While the movement is known for Cesar Chavez’s leadership and considered a Chicano movement, Filipinos played a pivotal role.

Filipino labor organizer, Larry Itliong, a union veteran, organized a group of 1500 Filipinos to strike against the grape growers of Delano, California, beginning a collaboration between Filipinos, Chicanos and other ethnic workers that would go on for years.

“Labor Movie Night” is sponsored by AFSCME Local 3800, AFSCME Council 5 Next Wave, AFSCME Locals 2822, 34, and 1164, Teamsters Local 638, UNITE HERE Local 17 and the Minneapolis Labor Review.