Week #2 Photo-report of the Milk with Dignity Month of Action!
Posted Thu, 10/17/2024 - 4:10pm
The Milk with Dignity Month of Action has reached the halfway point. Even as temperatures drop and the days get shorter, farmworkers and allies have continued picketing Hannaford Supermarkets around the region to build support for Milk with Dignity and encourage potential customers to not cross the picket line.
In the second week of the Month of Action, events took place throughout Vermont – in Morrisville, South Burlington, and Middlebury – and in Portland, ME. In South Burlington and Portland, allies led consumer education events to raise awareness about the campaign and pass out consumer pledges, while in Morrisville and Middlebury, farmworkers held large pickets and marches to turn away would-be Hannaford shoppers.
Check out the full photo-report on the Migrant Justice below!
At each action, farmworkers and allies have distributed consumer pledges asking Hannaford customers to show support for farmworkers by pledging to never cross a picket line and – if, in the future, workers call for a full store boycott – to stop shopping at Hannaford entirely. Over 400 have signed the pledge so far!
A delegation of farmworkers is now heading to Maine to continue the Month of Action. Events this week include:
- Thursday 10/17 5-8pm, 295 Forest Ave. Portland, ME (farmworker picket)
- Saturday 10/19 11-3pm, 93 Linconville Ave, Belfast, ME (farmworker picket)
- Sunday 10/20 2-3pm, 78 Marshall Ave, Williston, VT (consumer education event)
Meanwhile, press outlets continue to cover the “tale of two dairy industries” so starkly demonstrated by the recent publication of survey data showing ongoing labor abuses in the dairy industry, contrasted with the seven-year Program Report demonstrating the tremendous changes happening through Milk with Dignity. Check out the latest press from Community News Service and the Vermont CBS affiliate WCAX.
The choice for Hannaford is clear: will they be part of the problem or part of the solution? It’s time to join the Milk with Dignity Program!
At each picket, farmworker leaders address the crowd on their experiences working on dairy farms and the critical need for Milk with Dignity
Allies and workers picket together, sending a clear message to potential Hannaford customers: Don't cross the picket line!
Framworker families lead chants and hold hand-painted banners to get the message out
Even kids have a role!
"Leche justa, a mí me gusta!"
Throughout each action, we pass out flyers and pledge forms to customers. After receiving the information, many customers turn around rather than cross the picket line!
With the days getting shorter, the actions go into the night...
...and end with hot chocolate...
...and a home-cooked meal! Nobody goes home with an empty stomach.