 Influenced by the Synanon religious organization, he re-emphasized communal living and purged perceived opponents.Membership of the UFW dwindled in the 1980s and Chavez moved into real-estate development.A controversial figure, UFW critics raised concerns about Chavez's firm personal control of the union, the purges of those he deemed disloyal, and the personality cult built around him, while farm-owners considered him a communist subversive.