For decades, the St. Albans dairy plant in Franklin County, Vermont has processed milk for beloved brands like Ben & Jerry's and Cabot Creamery, supporting local farm families and about 80 union workers. Now that legacy is at risk.

Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) announced in June it would largely shut the plant down. Teamsters Local 597, which represents the plant's workers, says the closure came right after those same workers won a new contract in October 2025 following complaints of grueling, mandatory 12-hour shifts, and after they went on strike. The union argues the shutdown looks less like a business decision and more like payback.

A federal judge briefly blocked DFA from taking further action, and the company has now told the court it will hold off on anything permanent, like unloading the building or pulling out equipment, until the dispute is settled through arbitration. But arbitration could drag on for months, leaving workers and farm families in limbo.

"I feel like that was a big win for the Teamsters," said Local 597 president Curtis Clough, after DFA agreed to hold off, according to VTDigger. That is a start, but it is not a guarantee the plant stays open.

DFA and CEO Dennis Rodenbaugh say the closure is about protecting farm families from an unviable plant, not retaliation. If that is true, DFA should prove it by working with Local 597 toward a real solution that keeps the plant running and the jobs intact, instead of managing a slow-motion shutdown.

These workers and farm families built this plant's legacy. They should not lose their jobs and livelihoods over a dispute they did not create. Sign the petition to demand DFA commit to keeping the St. Albans plant open and reach a fair agreement with Local 597.