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