Vermont dairy workers fight exploitation by Dutch corporation
Migrant workers, primarily from Latin America, now form the backbone of Vermont's dairy industry, replacing family farmers. Hilario, a 65-year-old worker, describes his grueling shifts starting at 10:30 PM on a farm where he sleeps in a makeshift bed next to the milking parlor. Workers hide from ICE raids and are organizing against a Dutch corporation that owns multiple farms in the state. The workers face low wages, long hours, and precarious immigration status, but are beginning to resist through legal and collective action.
Key facts
- Migrant workers have replaced family farmers in Vermont's dairy industry
- Hilario, 65, works shifts starting at 10:30 PM
- Workers hide from ICE raids
- A Dutch corporation owns multiple dairy farms in Vermont
- Workers are organizing against exploitation
- Milking parlor is separated from Hilario's room by a curtain
- Holstein cows are described as 'smart and nervous'
- Workers face low wages and long hours
Entities
Institutions
- ICE
- Dutch corporation
Locations
- Vermont
- United States