<P> Starting in December 1965, Chavez's organization participated in several consumer boycotts against the Schenley corporation . The increased pressure from supporters in the business sector led to the farm workers' victory and acquisition of union contracts that immediately raised wages and established hiring halls in Delano, Coachella, and Lamont . </P> <P> The large corporations affected by the strikes led by Chavez employed fear tactics in order to protect profits . The documentary The Wrath of Grapes mentions that the Delano - based company, M Caratan Inc., hired criminals to break up farm workers voting to unionize . They attacked voters, overturned tables and even smashed ballot boxes . </P> <P> The DiGiorgio Corporation was finally pressured into holding an election amongst its workers allowing them to choose the union they wanted to represent them on August 30, 1967 . This came as a result of the boycott tactic of blocking grape distribution centers . With their products not on the shelves of retailers as a result of the boycott, the DiGiorgio Corporation was pressured to answer to the demands of the farm workers . The result of the vote favored the union representation of the UFW, a 530 to 332 vote, against the representation of The Teamsters, which was the only union that was competing against the UFW in the election . </P> <P> In June 1975, California passed a law allowing for secret ballot union representation elections for farm workers . By mid-September, the UFW won the right to represent 4,500 workers at 24 farms, while the Teamsters won the right to represent 4,000 workers at 14 farms . The UFW won the majority of the elections in which it participated . </P>

Who became a national figure during the grape strike