ERIC PAUL ZAMORA
ezamora@fresnobee.com
On the day explosive allegations were revealed about the late labor leader Cesar Chavez, Teresa Romero, president of the United Farm Workers union, said she and others remain conflicted about the man they credit with championing the plight of farmworkers nationwide.
Chavez, who co-founded the groundbreaking union, was accused in a New York Times investigation of sexually abusing and molesting multiple girls and women during his decades-long leadership of the union.
Chavez died in 1993 at age 66.
“Cesar Chavez is a man who did something horrible that we’re not going to excuse or even try to justify,” Romero said Wednesday. “And on the other hand, we have an organizer who brought thousands of people together — and I’m talking about doctors, nurses, teachers, people of different religions, farmworkers and volunteers — who worked and dedicated their lives for decades, and we need to remember that too.“
Romero was in Fresno for a rally and a federal court hearing on the union’s attempts to delay a new wage rule for foreign guest workers.
“I want people to understand that we want to respect the victims and that we want to make sure that we do not justify what he (Chavez) did, and for people to remember the work that we do and why we are here at the courthouse today,” she said.
Teresa Romero, president of United Farm Workers, leads protesters at a rally outside the Robert E. Coyle Federal Courthouse to voice opposition to a proposed change in pay for guest workers, Wednesday, March 18, 2026 in downtown Fresno. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com
Romero said she felt reassured that several people within the union have asked her about the allegations and how it will affect the work of the union that was founded in 1962 as the National Farm Workers Association.
“I’ve been with the union for almost 17 years, and when I spoke with my staff, many who weren’t even born when he died. (They) said they joined the union not because of him, but because of the work that we do. And that is so encouraging,” she said.
“Young people recognize that the war continues and that the challenges right now are many, and very different than they were 30 years ago. We are trying to protect you, not only at work, but against this (Trump) administration’s attacks on immigrants and people of color.”
One of the union’s latest battles is to try and reverse changes made to the H2A program, an outlet for farmers to import temporary workers from foreign countries. The union is asking U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sheriff to suspend the new rule and issue a preliminary induction.
Although farmers nationwide have increased their reliance on the program, many have complained that it is costly and cumbersome.
The union’s lawyer, Kuntal Cholera, argued that the Department of Labor has made “seismic cuts” to the wages of H2A workers, triggering lower wages for non-H2A farmworkers.
According to court filings, Irene Mendoza, a U.S. citizen farmworker, said that under the new rules, her $17 an hour job was cut to $13.78. A resident of Texas, Mendoza has traveled for work to Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Texas.
The union has also challenged the revising of the requirement for employers to provide housing for H2A workers. Now, if an employer provides housing, they can deduct that cost from the worker’s wages.
Cholera also opposed the creation of a two-tier wage system that allows employers to pay unskilled workers at a lower wage than a skilled worker. Cholera said 92% of the workers would fall into the unskilled category.
The government’s attorney, Alexandra Schulte, argued that the union has not met the burden for a preliminary injuction and that the union did not have solid proof that the wage changes are brining wages down for non-H2A workers.
“There is not a single declaration to show there has been irreparable harm,” she said. “They should be able to come up with that evidence if it exists.”
The judge said he will review all the evidence and issue a decision.
Protesters rally outside the Robert E. Coyle Federal Courthouse to voice opposition to a proposed change in pay for guest workers Wednesday, March 18, 2026 in downtown Fresno. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com 
Protesters rally outside the Robert E. Coyle Federal Courthouse to voice opposition to a proposed change in pay for guest workers, Wednesday, March 18, 2026 in downtown Fresno. ERIC PAUL ZAMORA ezamora@fresnobee.com
This story was originally published March 18, 2026 at 6:38 PM.
The Fresno Bee
A Valley native, Robert has worked at The Fresno Bee since 1994, covering various topics including education, business, courts and agriculture.