The California Santa Clara Valley, south of San Francisco, was the largest fruit growing and processing center in the world during the 1920s.
[1] Moreover, during this time, food processing was the largest United States industry in both labor size and product value.
[2] To illustrate the enormity of this industry, in 1929, canned and preserved foods accounted for two-thirds of the total quantity of United States manufactured goods.
[citation needed] California specifically was producing virtually all of the nation's lemons, olives and apricots as well as seventy percent of its oranges, grapes, plums and nuts.
[3] In the 1920s prosperity led white workers to better paying jobs, leaving cannery positions to be filled by immigrants and people of color in the Santa Clara Valley.
[4] The labor force in this region's canneries included White, Portuguese (20%), Italian (50%) and Mexican workers.
Cannery owners preferred women workers believing they were more adept at the preparation of the fruits and vegetables for canning.
The seasonal nature of cannery work in Santa Clara required a large and adaptive labor force.
Employees were paid on a piece rate system, meaning that their wages were set by how much work they completed.
[14] In July 1931 cannery employers in the Santa Clara Valley called for a 20% cut in worker's wages.
Formal recognition of the union On July 31, the strikers organized a rally in St. James Park in downtown San Jose.
This woman led the protesters on a march to city hall, but was suddenly struck in the face by a tear gas bomb and was knocked unconscious.
At the Richmond Case Cannery, where over 15,000 workers stepped out alone displayed machine guns at their entrances, warning protesters to stay away.
While support for the communist CAWIU did not last, cannery workers in Santa Clara, and throughout California, became organized under the AFL.