Migrant Justice Justicia Migrante

On September 13th, farmworkers and consumers turned out in force to picket Hannaford Supermarket and demand Milk with Dignity. This was the first of four weekly pickets in the Milk with Dignity Month of Action.

The Milk with Dignity Month of Action will continue all month, with pickets on 9/22, 9/28, and the grand finale on 10/3 – the anniversary of the launch of the program in Ben & Jerry’s supply chain. Each picket starts at 5:30pm at 935 Shelburne, Rd, South Burlington, VT

Read More to see the full photo-report!

On September 10th, a contingent of immigrant farmworkers marched in the annual Vermont Pride Parade. As is tradition, the Migrant Justice contingent marched with rainbow-painted butterflies; this year, we added home-made marching drums emblazoned with messages of solidarity.

Sunday’s Pride Parade kicked off the Milk with Dignity Month of Action, which will continue throughout September with a series of weekly pickets at 5:30pm in front of the Hannaford at 935 Shelburne Rd. in South Burlington, VT.

Read more to see the photos from the Pride Parade and Festival – and to get the details on the Month of Action!

Vermont Public recently published an explosive report on violence and abuse on dairy farms in Hannaford Supermarkets’ supply chain. The report interviews Miguel, a farmworker who was assaulted and then fired by his employer. 

Miguel was in the middle of a 12-hour overnight shift when he went outside the barn to speak with a volunteer from a local church selling food and medicine to the farmworkers. His employer approached Miguel, grabbed him, and shoved him back into the barn.

The police arrived on the scene following the incident, and the farm owner admitted to the assault and to yelling at Miguel to “get in the f––ing barn.” He then goes on to claim, without irony, that “we treat them so good” and that his is “one of the only farms around here that treat these guys excellent.”

Read More to get the full story and learn how to join the Month of Action!

The National Farm Worker Ministry has been organizing faith communities since 1920 to support farmworkers. They were a key pillar of solidarity in the United Farm Workers’ historic grape boycotts of the 1960s. Now the NFWM is throwing their support behind dairy workers’ fight for Milk with Dignity!

Now, the Ministry is holding their annual Board of Directors meeting at the Migrant Justice office in Vermont. Faith leaders from around the country are gathering to chart the future of the organization and build relationships with dairy workers organizing for human rights and economic justice. On July 28th, NFWM and Migrant Justice will join forces to picket Hannaford Supermarkets and call on the grocery chain to join the Milk with Dignity Program.

Come out to the picket line on 7/28 at 5:30pm in South Burlington to join farmworkers and faith leaders demanding Milk with Dignity!

Click “Read More” to get the full story and learn about another black mark on Hananford’s human rights record.

On June 24th, hundreds of farmworkers and allies from around the region converged in Portland, Maine for a mass march on Hannaford Supermarkets. Led by three bus-loads from Vermont, marchers traversed Hannaford’s hometown to bring a clear message that workers and consumers demand Milk with Dignity.

Dairy worker Emilio capped the march with a rousing speech in front of the final Hannaford store:

“On my farm we want to see better housing, better pay, vacations – things we don’t have now. We want to see improvements on these farms and that’s what we’re demanding from Hannaford. This march is a big step forward; the more who take action, the better. Because there is strength in numbers, strength in unity, and we are a community united. We know what we want and we’re here to fight for it.”

Read more to see the photo-report and read Hannaford’s response!

The AFL-CIO of Maine, representing 200 union locals and 40,000 workers across the state, has endorsed the Milk with Dignity campaign and called on Hannaford Supermarkets to join the program. This major endorsement follows support from national faith communities, food and agriculture groups, elected officials, grassroots organizations, and Hannaford’s own shareholders.

The endorsement from organized labor in Hannaford’s home state also comes on the eve of the upcoming Milk with Dignity march in Portland, Maine. This Saturday, farmworkers and allies will march through Portland to denounce the severe human rights abuses in Hannaford’s supply chain, call out the grocery chain’s cynical attempts to sweep abuses under the rug, and urge the company to join the Milk with Dignity program.

This Saturday at 2pm: march with farmworkers in Portland to demand Milk with Dignity!

Last month saw an unprecedented level of support for Milk with Dignity. Throughout April, farmworkers toured across the northeast, holding 50 organizing meetings, taking action at dozens of Hannaford stores, and connecting with hundreds of new supporters. We capped the Organizing Tour with a spirited Mayday celebration along with others in the labor movement. On International Workers Day, Hannaford received hundreds of calls from customers, as well as new endorsement letters from unions, grassroots organizations, and over 50 state legislators demanding Milk with Dignity. And the following day, Migrant Justice was honored by a recognition from the Vermont House of Representatives.

Now we are announcing the next step in the Milk with Dignity campaign. On Saturday, June 24th, hundreds will converge in Portland, ME – near Hannaford’s corporate headquarters – in a mass march demanding Milk with Dignity. Join us on 6/24 at 2pm in Portland, Maine to march on Hannaford!

After a month on the road, we have wrapped up the Milk with Dignity Organizing Tour! Over the past four weeks, we held more than 50 tour stops, meeting with communities across seven states to build support for the Milk with Dignity campaign and to take action at Hannaford Supermarkets around the region. 

This was the most ambitious tour that Migrant Justice has ever undertaken, and it was a resounding success. In churches and synagogues, at schools and colleges, in public libraries and on community farms, we connected with hundreds of new supporters and mobilized them to push Hannaford to join Milk with Dignity. Press coverage of the tour brought the message to thousands more.

With pressure mounting on Hannaford, we are asking supporters to call the company headquarters and urge them to meet with farmworkers. Throughout the campaign, thousands of people have called the office of Hannaford President Mike Vail to show their solidarity. Today, International Workers’ Day, take a minute to make a call: tell Hannaford that you want Milk with Dignity!

Make sure to “Read More” to get the full story and read the latest endorsement letters from grassroots organizations and elected officials!