Thousands march on Mayday; Hannaford sales plummet
Posted Tue, 05/13/2025 - 3:47pm
On International Workers’ Day, farmworkers led a 16-hour picket of Hannaford Supermarket, urging potential customers to withhold their purchases and demand Milk with Dignity. The action was an overwhelming success: the picketed Hannaford store in Williston, VT lost nearly 500 customers throughout the day, a drop in sales of over 25%!
Labor unions, faith communities, community organizations, and student groups all joined farmworkers on the picket line, marching and chanting from the store’s opening at 7am until its close at 11pm. In typical Vermont spring fashion, the day began below freezing, rose to a sunny high in the 70s, and ended in a driving downpour. But the weather did little to dampen the spirits of the picketers.
As potential Hannaford customers approached the store, farmworkers and allies educated them on the abuses and mistreatment occurring on farms sourcing Hannaford-brand milk. As consumers learned of Hannaford’s refusal to join the Milk with Dignity Program – which would guarantee farmworker rights and drastically improve labor and housing conditions – many turned away rather than cross the picket line.
The action swelled in numbers throughout the day, cresting in the evening as thousands of marchers joined the Hannaford picket. The feeder march brought farmworkers together with others rallying for immigrant rights, workers’ rights, and solidarity with Palestine. The mass march passed by the offices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, where speakers celebrated the release from immigration detention of Palestinian Vermonter Mohsen Mahdawi – detained during his citizenship interview over his activism – and called for the release of the nine members of Vermont’s farmworker community detained in recent weeks.
Mayday’s action came at a crucial time in the Milk with Dignity campaign. A delegation had recently returned from the Netherlands, home of Hannaford’s parent company Ahold Delhaize. With the support of allied investors, Migrant Justice entered the company’s annual shareholder meeting, directly challenging the board and executives on the abuses in Hannaford’s dairy supply chain. During the meeting, we announced the filing of an international human rights complaint with the Dutch government.
Ahold has responded to the increasing pressure by offering a direct meeting – the first after years of campaigning – and announcing an independent investigation into human rights abuses in their supply chain. Hannaford’s spokesperson stated: “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.”