Sister Tess Browne joined dairy workers, faith leaders and community supporters in Quincy, Massachusetts, on Sept. 4 as they gathered outside the U.S. headquarters of Ahold Delhaize in support of the Milk with Dignity campaign.
Dairy workers traveled from Vermont for the gathering, organized by Migrant Justice, a worker-led organization advocating for the rights of immigrant farmworkers. Participants carried signs calling for human rights, dignity, and improved conditions for dairy workers. Migrant Justice
Ahold Delhaize is the parent company of Hannaford and Stop & Shop. Migrant Justice is asking the company to join the Milk with Dignity Program, which sets worker-defined standards for wages, housing, schedules, health and safety, and other working conditions on participating dairy farms. Migrant Justice has alleged labor and human rights concerns on farms in Hannaford’s dairy supply chain. Migrant Justice
The Quincy gathering brought together dairy workers and supporters from several communities and faith traditions. Participants marched with banners in English and Spanish, including “Human Rights, Derechos Humanos.” Other signs read, “Farmworkers Deserve Dignity” and “The Cows Don’t Milk Themselves.”
Representing the National Farm Worker Ministry and in the name of the Quincy Interfaith Network, Sister Tess welcomed the dairy workers, Migrant Justice members and supporters. Sister Tess is a founding member of the Quincy Interfaith Network and serves on its steering committee. Felix Garza, SCNA, serves as the official Sisters of Charity of Nazareth representative on the National Farm Worker Ministry Board, helping connect the Congregation with the organization’s work alongside farmworkers and their communities.
The Rev. Rebecca Froom, minister of United First Parish Church in Quincy and president of the Quincy Interfaith Network, also helped welcome the dairy workers and supporters and provided hospitality at United First Parish Church, known as the Church of the Presidents. The historic church is associated with Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams and their spouses, Abigail Adams and Louisa Catherine Adams.
The campaign also received a significant development this year in the Netherlands. The Dutch National Contact Point for Responsible Business Conduct determined in May that Migrant Justice’s complaint against Ahold Delhaize met the criteria for further consideration and offered mediation to both parties. Ahold Delhaize and Migrant Justice accepted the offer. The NCP specifically notes that this decision is not a finding that Ahold Delhaize violated the OECD Guidelines. OECD Guidelines
For Sister Tess, the gathering connected local interfaith relationships with the concerns of workers whose labor supports the region’s dairy industry. Standing alongside workers and community supporters, she joined their call for working conditions that respect the dignity and rights of farmworkers.
As participants gathered near the company’s offices, one of their chants carried their message through Quincy: “Get up, get down, Milk with Dignity is coming to town.”
Learn more
- The University of Vermont’s Institute for Agroecology published a July report on the Dutch NCP decision and the Milk with Dignity campaign. Read the UVM article
- More information about the campaign, current actions and the Milk with Dignity Program is available from Migrant Justice. Visit Migrant Justice