Following one-day boycott success, Migrant Justice delegation travels to Hannaford headquarters

A delegation of farmworkers is in Maine today, May 24th, visiting the corporate headquarters of Hannaford Supermarket. They brought with them the results of the recent one-day boycott action and a clear message that Hannaford can either join the Milk with Dignity Program or continue to face repercussions from consumers tired of the company’s empty promises.

Watch the just-released video from the Mayday “Don’t Buy” picket of Hannaford Supermarket!

Earlier this month, on International Workers' Day, farmworkers led a full-day picket of Hannaford’s location in Williston, Vermont. From sun-up to sun-down, workers and supporters marched, chanted, and spoke with potential Hannaford customers, asking them not to shop at the store. Over the course of the day, hundreds respected the picket line and turned away, causing Hannaford’s sales at the targeted store to drop by double-digits.

This action was the first time that farmworkers asked consumers to withhold their purchases from Hannaford as a way of escalating pressure on the company. After years of engagement calling on the corporation to join Milk with Dignity – and faced with Hannaford’s refusal to address the well-documented human rights abuses in its dairy supply chain – farmworkers took the step of calling for a one-day boycott.

Following the success of the Mayday picket, Migrant Justice visited Hannaford’s headquarters to deliver the results. We held a press conference outside, then entered the lobby to deliver thousands of postcards that Hannaford customers have written to the company showing their support for Milk with Dignity. 

Today’s delegation met an advance team that has been in Maine this week building support for the campaign among workers and allies across the state. We have been visiting Maine farms to extend our ongoing survey of labor and housing conditions in the region’s dairy farms. Stay tuned for the results of the survey, due later this year!

And in case you missed it, check out the photo-report from the Mayday picket!