On Wednesday afternoon, farm workers and supporters organized by the United Farm Workers union protested outside of the UCLA Hammer Museum, which received a $30 million dollar donation from the Resnick family of the Wonderful Company.
“They gave $30 million dollars to support this museum. Meanwhile, many of their workers don’t have health insurance. We don’t have fair wages,” said Rosa, a farm worker working at Wonderful Nurseries for the past six years. “This is what their empire is based on. This is where they get their money, which they then donate to museums like this.”
The Resnicks made the donation in 2018. The funds were used for the construction of the Lynda and Stewart Resnick Cultural Center, which opened in 2023.
Around 90 people protested in front of the Hammer Museum– representing eleven organizations including UFCW 770, California Nurses Association, AFCSME 3299, UAW 4811, American Federation of Teachers, Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice, UPTE, Unite Here Local 11, and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
The UFW has been engaged in a Wonderful worker unionization effort for two years and a majority of the workers decided to join the union, according to UFW spokesman Antonio De Loera-Brust. Instead of recognizing the farm workers union and negotiating a union contract, Wonderful engaged in a union busting effort, said De Loera-Brust.