The farm worker movement is deeply saddened at the passing of Stephen Rivers, 55, a lifelong selfless champion of La Causa who passed away peacefully in his sleep from cancer early on Tuesday, June 8. Like so many of his generation, Stephen traced his social and political activism to helping organize the United Farm Workers’ grape, lettuce and Gallo wine boycotts during the early- and mid-1970s in his native New England. He served as a full-time union volunteer for four years, first in Massachusetts and then in Connecticut, working his way up to become regional boycott coordinator. Stephen was transferred to the UFW’s national headquarters at La Paz in Keene, Calif. in 1975, where he continued serving the farm workers in organizing and political campaigns. He became affectionately known by the nickname, Esteban Rios.
After leaving his full-time UFW position, Stephen worked with Tom Hayden’s Campaign for Economic Democracy and served as his press secretary and legislative district director. He ran Gray Davis' first successful state Assembly drive. Stephen went on to a distinguished career as a highly successful publicist and media consultant, often advancing other progressive causes. But he always kept Cesar Chavez and the farm workers close to his heart and part of his activism.
Stephen helped spread word about the union’s 1980s grape boycott, assisted Jane Fonda in her support of the UFW, including her commissioning of the famed Octavio Ocampo painting of Cesar, and provided invaluable media consulting services to the UFW during key campaigns over the years. He unceasingly promoted the union’s work, helped attract new allies and mentored union staff. When Cesar Chavez passed away in 1993, Stephen dropped what he was doing to help coordinate international news coverage of the funeral services in Delano, Calif.
He played crucial behind-the-scenes roles in helping convince two California governors to assist farm workers. Stephen contributed to enactment in 2002 of the state’s historic law providing for binding mediation when growers refuse to negotiate union contracts, to issuance of the first state regulation in the nation, in 2005, aimed at preventing farm workers from dying or becoming ill from exposure to extreme heat and to relief for farm workers hit hard by a citrus freeze.
For an accomplished publicist who had so many “big” ideas and relationships, Stephen also made time to handle the mundane chores of daily activism by regularly sending out UFW action alerts to his friends. He was aiding the farm workers, working with union staff, until the final days of his life, which he endured with much courage and humor.
During his last days, movement figures and Chavez family members who were Stephen’s friends visited his bedside, expressing gratitude for decades of dedication. They included UFW President Arturo Rodriguez; Paul Chavez, Cesar’s middle son and president of the Cesar Chavez Foundation; UFW Legislative and Political Director Giev Kashkooli; Marc Grossman, Cesar’s longtime spokesman and personal aide; and Anthony Chavez, one of Cesar’s grandsons.
Details are pending on services being planned for both Los Angeles and Western Massachusetts. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations go to the UFW Foundation (www.ufwfoundation.org) or the Sisters of Saint Joseph Federation.
