The political economy of migrant farm labor and the farmworker movement in the Midwest

This study examines the migrant farmworker movement in the Midwest organized by the Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC) in the context of the political economic structure of Midwestern agricultural production. The political economic forces which created and reproduced a migrant labor pool in Texas and the organization of specialty crop agricultural production in the Midwest which utilized these workers is examined. The migrant labor system resulted in not only impoverished living and working conditions for migrant workers but also created structural constraints on collective action of farmworkers to improve those conditions. A case study of FLOC describes how the farmworkers\u27 union was able to successfully confront these severe structural barriers. The how question is conceptualized as involving the process of movement leaders making strategic choices: choices over goals, tactics, and form of organization. FLOC borrowed from the strategic and organizational model of the United Farm Workers Union in California, but modified this model to fit the structure of Midwestern agriculture. Moreover, the choices were shaped through the process of collective action and responses from other involved groups. The results of this study support the contention of the Resource Mobilization perspective that the creation of a formal organization is of critical importance in mobilizing resources to achieve movement goals. But, the argument that movements must rely on third party sponsorship must be qualified. The reliance on external support depends upon the structural location of movement participants. Moreover, the Piven and Cloward thesis that oligarchical tendencies in movement organizations results in the diversion from movement goals is not supported. FLOC\u27s particular organizational form developed over time to meet situational demands