Migrant Justice Justicia Migrante

The Milk with Dignity Month of Action is at the halfway mark. Over the past two weeks, farmworkers have led pickets in front of Hannaford Supermarkets urging the grocery chain to protect workers’ rights by joining the Milk with Dignity Program. The actions are gaining momentum: last week’s picket was bigger, louder and more energetic than the kickoff action the week before. And allies in other states who can’t make it to the pickets have begun to organize actions at their own local Hannafords!

At the action, Javier will be one of the farmworkers marching for his rights on the picket line. Javier has worked on a farm in Addison County for the last two years, where he has suffered from a litany of abuses all too common on farms outside of the Milk with Dignity Program: he works seven days a week; has no sick leave, vacation, or holidays; and has been injured on the job. Earlier this year, when he was kicked in the stomach by a cow, he had no choice but to keep working.

Read More to get the fully story on how Javier is standing up for his rights – and what you can do to get his back! 

The Milk with Dignity Month of Action kicked off on 10/3 with a bang. Farmworkers led a spirited picket outside of Hannaford Supermarket, calling on the company to take responsibility for abuses in its dairy supply chain and join the Milk with Dignity Program. Actions will continue on 10/14 at 5:30pm.

Join farmworkers on 10/14 (and the following weeks on 10/20 and 10/26) at the Hannaford on Shelburne Road in South Burlington to demand Milk with Dignity! (RSVP here)

Read more to see the full photo-report from last week’s action!

Wuendy Bernardo has lived with her family on a dairy farm in Vermont since 2014. Three years ago, she was being driven home from church when her car was pulled over by Border Patrol and Wuendy and her children were detained. Since then, Wuendy has attended regular appointments with immigration authorities and complied with every order, but this summer – without warning – she was told by ICE that she must leave the country or she will be detained and deported.

Wuendy’s attorneys have filed a petition to stop her deportation, but ICE needs to hear from you! A mass outpouring of community support can and does have an impact – and could be the difference between Wuendy being deported or allowed to remain in Vermont with her family. Please send an email today to the ICE office in charge of Wuendy’s case to express your support.

Vermont’s annual Pride Parade and Festival was led this year by immigrant farmworkers marching behind the Migrant Justice banner. And for the first time in years, the event took place without the sponsorship of Hannaford Supermarkets.

As we shared before, Hannaford ended its sponsorship of this year’s event – pulling $18,000 – after the Pride Center of Vermont urged the grocery chain to talk with farmworkers demanding Milk with Dignity. Hannaford made it clear that the company would rather end its support of the LGBTQ event than sit down with dairy workers to talk about abuses on the farms behind its store-brand milk.

"Read More" to get the fully story and see more photos from this beautiful event!

Grocery chain refuses to meet with farmworkers over rights abuses

Pride event to honor LGBTQ+ immigrant farmworkers

Hannaford Supermarkets will not sponsor this year’s Vermont Pride Parade and Festival for the first time since 2019. The grocery chain paid $15,000 to sponsor last year’s event, which occurs annually in Burlington every September. As a condition for sponsorship this year, the Pride Center of Vermont asked Hannaford to meet with farmworkers facing discrimination and abuse in the company’s dairy supply chain. The company has refused to meet with workers. In appreciation of this act of solidarity, farmworkers have launched a fundraiser to replace the funds that Pride has lost from Hannaford Supermarkets.

"Read More" to get the full story!

“Migrant Justice 10” backed by elected officials in appeal to federal agency

Montpelier.  Forty-one state legislators sent a letter to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today urging the federal agency to drop the deportations of ten immigrant farmworkers. The letter comes two months after the group, dubbed the “Migrant Justice 10,” first petitioned ICE to close their cases and allow them to remain in the U.S.

On June 21st, the ten farmworkers gathered with supporters in front of the U.S. Federal Building in Burlington to formally request that ICE apply federal guidelines and exercise prosecutorial discretion in their cases. The petition was filed with initial support from Vermont's congressional delegation, Lieutenant Governor Molly Gray, and State’s Attorneys Sarah George and Todd Shove.

Organized by Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale, and Representative Taylor Small, state legislators wrote to express their support for the Migrant Justice 10 and to encourage ICE prosecutors to grant their petition. 

The letter states: “These ten individuals are valued members of our community here in Vermont. The farms that are so important to our state’s economy and rural character rely on their work. Vermont prides itself on its dairy industry, but the reality is that these products that are a quintessential aspect of the Vermont brand, from Cabot to Ben and Jerry’s, wouldn’t exist without migrant farm workers. During the pandemic, they were essential workers who helped keep our grocery shelves stocked and our families fed.”

Click "Read more" to see the full release and links to the letter!

On July 29th, farmworkers will come together at the corporate headquarters of Hannaford Supermarkets in Scarborough, ME to demand dignity and respect. Dairy workers are urging the grocery chain to join the Milk with Dignity Program and commit to sourcing from farms that protect workers’ rights and well-being. But they can’t do it alone!

Will you join farmworkers on 7/29 at 2pm to picket the Hannaford headquarters? Find out more information and pledge to join the action. If you’re coming from Vermont, you can reserve a seat on the bus!

Delia, a Migrant Justice member and farmworker in northern Vermont, will be one of many workers traveling from Vermont to lead this action. July 29th will be a major break from her normal routine. She describes her grueling schedule:

“I start work at four in the morning. I have to bring my son with me to sleep in the barn before he goes to school. I work for more than ten hours straight and my only break is less than five minutes to drink a few sips of coffee. I don’t have time to sit and eat a proper meal until I finish work in the afternoon. By eight at night, my body can’t take anymore and I have to go to sleep to be able to get up the next day and do it all again. I end every day exhausted and barely have time to spend with my family.

Click "Read More" to get the full story!