EARLY ATTEMPTS DURING THE 20TH CENTURY TO ORGANIZE FARM WORKERS, TO GAIN WAGE INCREASES, AND TO SECURE EMPLOYER RECOGNITION OF A UNION AS THE WORKERS' AGENT FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING FAILED. AN ESTIMATED 380 AGRICULTURAL STRIKES INVOLVED OVER 200,000 WORKERS IN 33 STATES BETWEEN 1930 AND 1948. THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT, ENACTED AS A RESULT OF THOSE STRIKES, IRONICALLY EXCLUDED AGRICULTURAL WORKERS. IN 1965, A STRIKE OF GRAPE-VINEYARD WORKERS IN DELANO, CALIFORNIA, LEAD TO PUBLIC RECOGNITION OF THE NEED FOR LEGISLATION AND SOCIAL WELFARE PROGRAMS DESIGNED TO RELIEVE POVERTY AND IMPROVE THE WORKING CONDITIONS OF FARM WORKERS. A NEW INTEREST IN AGRICULTURAL UNIONISM DEVELOPED FROM LOCAL, STATE, AND NATIONAL ATTENTION, SYMPATHY, AND SUPPORT GIVEN TO THE STRIKERS BY CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS, LABOR UNIONS, CIVIC ASSOCIATIONS, AND RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS. THE AGRICULTURAL WORKERS ORGANIZING COMMITTEE ORGANIZED BY THE AFL-CIO AND THE NATIONAL FARM WORKERS ASSOCIATION MERGED AS THE UNITED FARM WORKERS ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (UNFWOC) IN JULY 1966 TO PRESENT A SINGLE FRONT FOR FUTURE BARGAINING NEGOTIATIONS AND TO GAIN RECOGNITION FROM 33 GROWERS. IN AN ELECTION AT THE DI GIORGIO CORPORATION FARMS, UNFWOC BECAME THE BARGAINING AGENT FOR GRAPE HARVEST WORKERS. NATIONAL PUBLICITY RESULTED IN LEGISLATIVE CONSIDERATION OF INCLUDING AGRICULTURAL WORKERS IN THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS ACT AND THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT. EFFECTS OF THE STRIKE HAVE SPREAD TO THE ATLANTIC COAST, FLORIDA, AND TEXAS. THE SUCCESS OF THE DELANO STRIKE COULD STIMULATE NATIONAL UNIONS TO ORGANIZE FARM WORKERS ON AN UNPRECEDENTED SCALE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. THIS DOCUMENT APPEARED IN "FARM LABOR DEVELOPMENTS," SEPTEMBER, 1966. (WB)