<P> Through its grassroots efforts--using consumer boycotts, marches, community organizing and nonviolent resistance--the movement gained national attention for the plight of some of the nation's lowest - paid workers . By July 1970, the UFW had succeeded in reaching a collective bargaining agreement with the table - grape growers, affecting in excess of 10,000 farm workers . </P> <P> As a result of the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee's decision to strike against Delano grape growers on September 8, 1965, Chavez held a conference in the Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (Iglesia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe), in September 16 which is the Mexican Independence Day, in order to allow the National Farm Workers Association to decide for themselves whether or not to join the struggle at Delano . An estimated crowd of more than twelve hundred supporters and members of Chavez's organization repeatedly chanted, "Huelga!" the Spanish word for strike, in favor of supporting the Delano grape farmers . </P> <P> On March 17, 1966 Cesar Estrada Chavez embarked on a three - hundred mile pilgrimage from Delano, California to the state's capital of Sacramento . This was an attempt to pressure the growers and the state government to answer the demands of the Mexican and Filipino farm workers which represented the Filipino - dominated Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee and the Mexican - dominated National Farm Workers Association, led by Cesar Chavez . The pilgrimage was also intended to bring widespread public attention to the farm worker's cause . Shortly after this, the National Farm Workers Association and the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee merged and became known as the United Farm Workers Organizing Committee . In August 1966, the AFL - CIO charted the UFW, officially combining the AWOC and the NFWA . </P> <P> After a record harvest in the fall of 1965, thousands of California farm workers went on strike and demanded union representation elections . Many were arrested by police and injured by growers while picketing . Chavez sent two workers and a student activist to follow a grape shipment from one of the picketed growers to the end destination at the Oakland docks . Once there, the protestors were instructed to persuade the longshoremen to refrain from loading the shipment of grapes . The group was successful in its course of action, and this resulted in the spoilage of a thousand ten - ton cases of grapes which were left to rot on the docks . This event sparked the decision to use the protest tactic of boycotting as the means by which the labor movement would win the struggle against the Delano grape growers . </P>

Who conducted a 300 mile march to sacramento california