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The new President of the United Farm Workers Union, Arturo Rodriguez, was in Washington to address the American Federation of Teachers. Rodriguez, who was named to succeed Cesar Chavez after the farm labor leader's death last April, says most of the UFW efforts are now geared towards keeping alive the union's boycott of California table grapes and promoting their campaign against the use of pesticides.

Stunned by the loss of the leader, the UFW received another hard blow when they lost an appeal of a 10 million dollars lawsuit against the Bruce Church Lettuce company. The union was again ordered to pay 2.9 million dollars. The union appealed that decision to a Los Angeles Superior Court. Rodriguez said he's confident that the union will win the appeal.

In the five months since Chavez's death, many communities have renamed streets, parks and schools after the farm labor leader. In his travels across the country Rodriguez says he's seen a renewed interest of issues affecting farm workers.

And as far as the North American Free Trade Agreement, the UFW President Rodriguez says the union has not taken an official position. However, he says his personal feeling is that it will not benefit either US or Mexican farm workers. For Latino USA, I'm Christian Gonzalez in Washington.