Labor lawyer Joseph Kaplan championed workers in Florida's citrus groves beginning in turbulent times during the early 1970s when they courageously started organizing under the black-eagle banners of Cesar Chavez's United Farm Workers. Kaplan helped workers re-negotiate their landmark union contract with Coca Cola Co. for its Minute Maid citrus groves as well as represent them in other ways such as arbitrating their grievances and winning back-pay awards.
He represented the UFW in federal court challenging growers' failure to offer work to resident farm workers before importing workers from outside the United States. He dedicated himself pro bono, working at no charge for farm workers and the UFW throughout the 21 years of the union contract with Coca Cola, describing his labors as “my cause.”
Joseph Kaplan, of Miami Beach and Coral Gables, passed away this month at age 90 after a lifetime of fighting “all the good fights,” recalls his daughter Susan. The farm worker movement and so many others for whom he fought will remember him.
The Kaplan family asks donations in Joe's name go to the UFW at https://ufw.org/jkaplan