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Vermont's child labor laws were written for family farms. But what about migrant workers?

Male farmer pouring raw milk into container with cows in background
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This hour, we’ll look at how state and local activists are responding to a recent New York Times article on illegal child labor after it raised questions about working conditions at Vermont dairies.

A recent New York Times about illegal child labor raised questions about working conditions at Vermont dairies. This hour, we’ll look at how the state and local activists are responding.

Vermont's child labor laws were written with family farms in mind, before the state had hundreds of migrant workers, including some below the age of 18. Vermont's labor commissioner will explain what types of jobs . Organizers with Migrant Justice will talk about the ways some in the dairy industry are guaranteeing the rights of workers are not violated, such as the .

Our guests are:

  • Michael Harrington, Vermont labor commissioner
  • Will Lambek, organizer with , a human rights organization founded and led by immigrant farmworkers in Vermont
  • Marita Canedo, organizer with Migrant Justice who coordinates its Teleayuda hotline
  • Elodie Reed, a ¿ªÔÆÌåÓý digital producer and reporter who covers the dairy industry

Note: We invited Ben & Jerry's and its parent company, Unilever, to be included in this episode, but they didn't not respond. Ben & Jerry's spokesman Sean Greenwood responded with the company's from February.

Broadcast live on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at noon; rebroadcast at 7 p.m.

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Mikaela Lefrak is the host and senior producer of Vermont Edition. Her stories have aired nationally on Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Weekend Edition, Marketplace, The World and Here & Now. A seasoned local reporter, Mikaela has won two regional Edward R. Murrow awards and a Public Media Journalists Association award for her work.
Tedra worked on Vermont Edition as a producer and editor from 2022 to 2024.