Maine APRI Members Protest at Hannaford for Farmworker Rights, Company Announces “Human Rights Impact Assessment”

PHOTO: Ina Demers (MEA), Garrett Stewart (MEA/IAM S6) and Daniel Carson of APRI Maine protesting in front of Hannaford Headquarters in Scarborough on April 9.

Members of the A. Phillip Randolph Institute - Maine Chapter joined farmworkers in front of Hannaford Headquarters in Scarborough on April 9 to call on the company to commit to fair wages and safe working conditions for dairy farm workers.

The rally was led by the farmworker-led group Migrant Justice as part of an effort to get the grocery chain to sign on to the Milk with Dignity pledge to commit to protect workers’ human rights in their dairy supply chain..

“On the farms, it’s clear that the farm owners care more about the cows than they care about the workers,” Emilio, a farmworker in Vermont, told Channel 8. ”If I don’t speak up today, the workers that come after me are going to suffer the same conditions that I do, and that’s unacceptable.”

A Breakthrough for Milk with Dignity

After years of organizing and pressuring the company to commit to protecting farm workers, finally all of their work is making a difference. Responding to Migrant Justice’s campaign, the company announced this week that it is conducting a comprehensive “Human Rights Impact Assessment” of the conditions in its dairy supply chain, which will include interviews with farmworkers and a review of the Milk with Dignity Program. And after five years encountering consistent refusals to meet, Migrant Justice had its first meeting with a company executive to begin a dialog about Milk with Dignity.

These steps are a recognition of the collective power of workers and consumers demanding justice, but now is not the time to let up the pressure! Assessments and meetings are just the first step; farmworkers aren’t celebrating until Hannaford joins the Program.