Testimony from farmworkers beaten by their boss
This summer, a farmworker and his 15-year-old nephew were victims of a horrific assault on a farm in the dairy supply chain of Hannaford Supermarket. The farm owner beat Ulver and Josue so severely that they both had to seek emergency medical care. In a powerful display of courage, the family held a press conference where they spoke out about the abuses they had suffered and called on Hannaford to join Milk with Dignity and prevent future cases of violence against farmworkers.
Today we are publishing a video with testimonies from the family about the assault and its impact.
Once it hit the headlines, Ulver and Josue’s story was published by a dozen local and statewide media outlets. In its extensive reporting, Vermont Public quoted those impacted on why they chose to speak out. Josue’s mom Ulda shared:
“My biggest fear was to lose my housing situation right now. I feel a little bit comfortable, maybe a little bit safer, … because I have the community with me … we are organizing, we're raising our voices, we're making it public.”
In their articles, publications VTDigger and The Manchester Journal highlight the connection between this assault and broader patterns in Hannaford’s supply chain. For years, immigrant dairy workers have spoken out against abuse and mistreatment – from dangerous and dilapidated housing, to 80-hour work weeks and poverty wages.
Hannaford has sought to deny all responsibility, claiming that it has “no relationship with the farm.” Workers, however, have confirmed that the farm is part of Dairy Farmers of America, a dairy cooperative that commingles milk for sale to H.P. Hood, Hannaford’s private label supplier. To date, Hannaford has provided no evidence to support its claims.
Hannaford’s lack of transparency is a key element of its failure to take responsibility for conditions in its supply chain. Workers and consumers deserve to know which farms do and do not supply Hannaford-brand milk. The best way to achieve this transparency is to sit down with farmworkers for good-faith discussions, an invitation that the company has so far refused.
This fall, farmworkers will turn up the heat on the demand for Milk with Dignity. After a successful one-day boycott of a Hannaford store earlier this year, we are launching a month of action picketing stores and urging customers not to cross the picket line. Stay tuned for more information in the coming week.
In the meantime, check out the plans for October’s month of action and sign up to get involved!