The State - News from Nov. 2, 1988

A woman who helped found a small Salinas-based farm labor union pleaded guilty to embezzling at least $35,000 from the union. Martha Camacho, 30, of Newark, who was known in Salinas as Martha Cano, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court at San Francisco to two felony labor and tax counts, said U.S. Atty. Joseph P. Russoniello. She and Oscar Gonzales were organizers for the Teamsters and founded the Independent Union of Agricultural Workers in 1978 when the Teamsters abandoned farm labor organizing after reaching an accord with Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers. Gonzales was president of the fledgling Independent Union until 1982, and Camacho served as president until 1984, when she pleaded no contest to negligent homicide for fatally shooting Gonzales while they were in Arizona. She was placed on probation. She will be sentenced Jan. 25.