ST. ALBANS, Vt. (WCAX) – Unionized workers at the Dairy Farmers of America plant in St. Albans are on strike over compensation and workplace quality concerns.
Upwards of 50 employees voted to strike on Thursday and hit the picket line on Friday.
“The company came to the table with an offer that doesn’t give our group what they need. They essentially put themselves out,” said Ryan Wallace with the Teamsters Local 597.
The DFA plant turns milk from farms into powdered milk and cream that is used at the Ben & Jerry’s plant just down the road.
Workers have been at loggerheads with DFA over wages, benefits, mandatory overtime, and what they describe as dangerous working conditions.
“There’s so much employee turnover and burnout. We’re always training someone somewhere,” said union member Dustin Reed.
Workers also point to repeated issues with sewage that they say have not been resolved, and that causes a stench across the city. They also say wages are not keeping up with the cost of living and want a $4 per hour increase over the next three years.
A DFA spokesperson said in a statement that the company has negotiated in good faith. “While we respect their right to take this step, we believe a strike does not serve the best interests of our employees, our customers, or the communities we serve,” they said.
Some temporary workers have been brought in to keep the plant running. But if processing lags, it could have a ripple effect across the dairy supply chain, impacting farmers who depend on having milk picked up on a regular schedule. The union has asked farmers to document losses if they have to dump milk. “They can bill DFA if they have to do the worst thing — which is put it back in the manure pit,” Reed said.
There’s no timeline for when the parties will return to the negotiating table or when it could begin to affect other operations, including Ben & Jerry’s.
