The United Farm Workers union has cancelled celebrations honoring Cesar Chavez, the organization’s co-founder, following “troubling allegations” that Chavez was involved in the abuse of young women or minors.

“We have not received any direct reports, and we do not have any firsthand knowledge of these allegations,” the UWF said in a statement on Tuesday. “However, the allegations are serious enough that we feel compelled to take urgent steps to learn more and provide space for people who may have been victimized to find support and to share their stories if that is what they choose.”

The union said it would not be participating in Cesar Chavez Day, which is observed annually on 31 March, his birthday.

Chavez, who was born in Yuma, Arizona, rose to prominence in the 1950s and 60s, after helping organize migrant farm workers in California’s central valley to secure better pay and safer housing and work conditions. He staged month-long fasts for the cause and helped organize a national boycott of California grapes.

Tuesday is the 60th anniversary of the strike, during which dozens of Latino and Filipino grape workers marched from Delano, California – in the state’s central valley – to the capitol in Sacramento.

Cesar Chavez Day is celebrated as a formal holiday on 31 March in California as well as in Arizona, Washington and Utah.

The Cesar Chavez Foundation, an education, housing and economic development non-profit that honors the man’s legacy, also released a statement expressing sadness and shock at the allegations.

“The Foundation is working with leaders in the Farmworker Movement to be responsive to these allegations, support the people who may have been harmed by his actions, and ensure we are united and guided by our commitment to justice and community empowerment,” the organization said in its statement.

Details of the allegations against the labor leader remain unclear. According to UFW, some of the allegations involve “family issues” and other allegations are concerning the abuse of young women and minors.

“Over the coming weeks, in partnership with experts in these kinds of processes, we are working to establish an external, confidential, independent channel for those who may have experienced harm caused by Cesar Chavez during the early days of the UFW’s history,” the organization said. “This channel is for those who wish to share their experiences of harm, to identify their current impacts and needs, and, if desired, to participate in a collective process to develop mechanisms for repair and accountability.”