Dolores Huerta to Lie in Honor at California State Capitol

Members of the public are invited to pay their respects to the historic labor and civil rights leader on Monday, November 16, at the Capitol from noon to 6 p.m.

SACRAMENTO - Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limón announced that the late historic civil rights and labor leader Dolores Huerta will lie in honor at the California State Capitol on Monday, November 16.

Members of the public are invited to pay their respects from noon to 6 p.m.

Beginning in the early 1960s, Huerta devoted her life to securing dignity, fair wages and a voice for the people who harvest California's crops. She co-founded the organization that would become the United Farm Workers, helped lead the Delano Grape Strike and organized a national boycott that brought the struggle of California farmworkers into homes across America.

Her organizing helped secure passage of California's landmark Agricultural Labor Relations Act of 1975, which established farmworkers' right to bargain collectively.

For more than two decades, she carried that work forward through the Dolores Huerta Foundation, helping residents in underserved communities across California organize, develop local leaders and shape the decisions that affect their lives.

"Dolores negotiated my grandfather's first union contract at Almaden Vineyards. She brought to that bargaining table what she brought to every fight: The conviction that farmworkers deserved fair pay, dignity and a say in the conditions under which they worked," Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas said. "She spent her life helping people discover what they could win when they stood together. Generations of California families live with the freedoms and opportunities she helped them secure."

"The impact Dolores Huerta made on the state and this nation was immeasurable. She was a national leader in the fight for workplace rights and an inspiration to millions of workers across the country. Here in California, she remains a central figure among our labor unions, advocates, and the Legislature as we all seek to support the backbone of our economy - the people. I cherish her partnership and friendship through the years and will carry her memory with me. I know her legacy will live on," pro Tempore Monique Limón said.

Honoring the Historic Life and Legacy of Dolores Huerta

Monday, November 16, 2026

Noon to 6 p.m.

California State Capitol, Sacramento

The Speaker and Pro Tem's offices will share additional information in the coming days.