This commentary is by Shannon Lucy of Swanton, a social worker and member of Community Voices for Immigrant Rights.
Vermonters have watched the Russian invasion of Ukraine with horror and have responded with an outpouring of support and solidarity for Ukrainian migrants.
If Vermonters are to be true to their values, we must rally as much support for the human rights of all migrants, including those within our own state. Migrant workers on dairy farms throughout Vermont have long been subjected to human rights abuses, including unsafe working and living conditions, below-minimum-wage pay, and blatant disregard for their health and well-being.
Workers have reported lack of heating in housing, no time for eight hours of sleep, and harm from exposure to toxic chemicals among countless other human rights and labor violations.
In response to abuses against migrant workers, activist organization Migrant Justice launched its Milk With Dignity campaign. Milk With Dignity calls upon companies that use and sell dairy to abide by a code of conduct that upholds human and labor rights.
Migrant Justice has been pressuring regional chain Hannaford Supermarkets to join Milk With Dignity, but so far migrant workers’ protests have fallen on deaf ears. Hannaford hypocritically claims a commitment to fair wages and benefits as well as anti-poverty and pro-health values. Yet, it refuses to support the basic human rights of migrant workers in its supply chain.
The hypocrisy extends to Hannaford’s parent company, Ahold Delhaize, which prides itself on being a champion of human rights. This Dutch multinational company claims, “We are committed to respecting the human rights of our associates, our customers, our communities and the people who work throughout our supply chains.” However, these so-called commitments are nothing but empty ideals when its own supply chains are rife with human rights abuses.
Ahold Delhaize claims, “If we learn about … serious violations of occupational health and safety regulations, we will suspend our relationship with that supplier. If a supplier is unable or unwilling to remedy their noncompliance, we will terminate our relationship with that supplier.”
Hannaford has long been aware of the Milk With Dignity campaign and has had ample opportunity to sign on. If the supermarket chain is not willing to comply, Ahold Delhaize must uphold its supposed ideals and ensure that Hannaford ends human rights abuses in its supply chain by joining Milk With Dignity.
Activist organizations Migrant Justice and Community Voices for Immigrant Rights are increasing pressure on Hannaford by launching an “adopt-a-store” campaign that will empower Vermonters to put pressure on Hannaford within their own communities.
We cannot condemn human rights abuses against Ukrainian migrants while ignoring violations against migrants in our own state. Hannaford has ignored migrants’ demands for protections against human rights abuses for dairy workers. If Vermonters really stand in solidarity with migrants, it is time for us to prove it by escalating the pressure until Hannaford joins Milk With Dignity.
