Action Announcement: 5/1 Hannaford picket and march

The Milk with Dignity campaign is moving forward! Farmworkers’ next planned action is a full-day picket of Hannaford Supermarkets on May 1st, International Workers’ Day. Dairy workers and allies will picket the Hannaford in Williston, VT from open to close, urging consumers not to shop there in solidarity with workers’ demands for Milk with Dignity.

We recently announced major news in the Milk with Dignity campaign. A delegation traveled to the Netherlands – home of Hannaford’s parent company Ahold Delhaize – to submit an international human rights complaint with the Dutch government and participate in the company’s shareholder meeting. In response, the grocery chain offered a meeting to open a dialogue about Milk with Dignity and announced an independent investigation into conditions in its dairy supply chain.

This momentous shift is described in front-page reporting from the Portland Press Herald, in which Hannaford “credited Migrant Justice with raising the issue of workers’ rights,” with the company spokesperson noting: “Frankly, in retrospect, we appreciate the fact that Migrant Justice raised this issue for us, and that it became an opportunity to shine a light on the industry and our supply chain.”

If you missed the recent announcement on campaign breakthroughs, check out the photo-report from the recent European delegation.

These steps would not have been possible without years of persistent campaigning. Farmworkers have courageously exposed abuses on farms supplying Hannaford-brand milk and tirelessly called on the company to stop those abuses by joining the Milk with Dignity Program. The campaign will continue with an all-day action on 5/1 outside the Williston Hannaford Supermarket with a clear message to consumers: Don’t cross the picket line! Don’t shop at Hannaford!

The upcoming action follows up on last year’s Mayday picket at the same store. The pressure made a huge impact: Hannaford lost over 300 customers at the store that day, a drop of nearly 20%. Workers then took the tactic on the road, picketing over a dozen stores; across the region, potential customers turned away from Hannaford rather than cross workers’ picket lines. At each action, people signed consumer pledges committing to support the campaign and to join an eventual consumer boycott of Hannaford, if one is called.

This Mayday, farmworkers will return to the Hannaford in Williston. Join us on the picket line any time from the store’s opening at 7am to its closing at 11pm! At 5pm, community groups will gather at a nearby park (28 Walnut St, Williston) before marching past the offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and joining workers at the Hannaford for a large rally at 7pm.

Come out on Mayday, and help spread the word by sharing the action announcement on facebook, instagram, and twitter!