The Cows Don’t Milk Themselves: Using Worker-Driven Social Responsibility to Fight Labor Injustice on Vermont’s Dairy Farms

Presenter's Name(s)

Marisa LouryFollow

Conference Year

January 2020

Abstract

In recent years, Vermont has become a new Latinx destination due to a growing demand for labor on its dairy farms. When migrants find work on these farms, they also become vulnerable to marginalization and labor injustice such as wage theft, 60+ hour work weeks, and inadequate safety regulations. Consequently, migrant farmworkers across the state have joined together to advocate for their rights through a campaign called Milk with Dignity which applies the advocacy model, Worker-Driven Social Responsibility. This thesis will evaluate the success this model has had in reforming these conditions, making this demographic visible, and improving farmworker wellbeing overall.

Primary Faculty Mentor Name

Teresa Mares

Status

Undergraduate

Student College

College of Arts and Sciences

Program/Major

Anthropology

Second Program/Major

Global Studies

Primary Research Category

Food & Environment Studies

Secondary Research Category

Vermont Studies

Tertiary Research Category

Social Sciences

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The Cows Don’t Milk Themselves: Using Worker-Driven Social Responsibility to Fight Labor Injustice on Vermont’s Dairy Farms

In recent years, Vermont has become a new Latinx destination due to a growing demand for labor on its dairy farms. When migrants find work on these farms, they also become vulnerable to marginalization and labor injustice such as wage theft, 60+ hour work weeks, and inadequate safety regulations. Consequently, migrant farmworkers across the state have joined together to advocate for their rights through a campaign called Milk with Dignity which applies the advocacy model, Worker-Driven Social Responsibility. This thesis will evaluate the success this model has had in reforming these conditions, making this demographic visible, and improving farmworker wellbeing overall.