January and February, 1966, 1966

At the invitation of SNCC, Mitchell went to California in February to visit the Delano grape-pickers strike; the papers include his handwritten notes on meetings with strike leader Cesar Chavez (Feb 18) and AWOC Director C. Al Green (Feb 23), as well as his report on the trip to AMC California Director Max J. Osslo (Feb 25). There is also an exchange between Mitchell and SNCC worker Laura Foner in Arkansas (Feb. 6, 13, 16). Following a suggestion by Leon Schachter Mitchell formulated a proposal for organizing the working poor in the rural South by building them low-cost housing; see his memorandum on the subject (Jan. 17), his exchange with NSF Executive Secretary Fay Benett (Jan 26, 31; Feb 9), and his letter to A. Philip Randolph (Feb. 9). Mitchell also drew up a proposal for a training project for menhaden fishermen (Jan 19). Local 300 continued to experience difficulty in signing contracts with certain menhaden fishing companies; the papers include several affidavits by Mitchell (Jan 17, 22, 25, 31) and a series of letters from Mitchell to the NLRB General Counsel appealing the Regional Director's refusal to issue unfair labor practice charges against the companies (Feb 25)