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Ben & Jerrys Ice Cream, long the countrys most overtly progressive company, is now no longer progressive enough for progressives.

Over the weekend, scores of activists marched on Ben & Jerrys Vermont factory, demanding that the company push for better wages and working conditions for migrant workers on Vermonts dairy farms. Social justice warrior blogs excoriated the company for failing to live up to its own progressive rhetoric.

Apparently, two years ago, Ben & Jerrys promised to take part in the Milk With Dignity program (weirdly, not Dairy With Dignity, which would have been catchier). The campaign asks major corporations that use milk in their food products to work to ensure migrant workers who help produce the milk are treated fairly.

But because Ben and Jerry are, at heart, dirty capitalists, they began negotiations with the organizations, to structure their commitment in such a way that it protected their bottom line. They also claimed to theWashington Post that they wanted to get real details on farm worker treatment from the migrants themselves, so that the agreement could be realistic.

It has to work for the farmers, the farm owners, and it has to work for the businesses involved and thats the complex piece, a representative of the company told media.

But the Vermont group Migrant Justice says thats just unacceptable. Realism? Who needs it! Profit? Well, thats just disgusting.

Ben & Jerrys sucks up milk from 80 Vermont dairy farms, and thats a lot of workers who arent being paid a living wage.

Weve been negotiating in good faith, said Will Lambek, director of Migrant Justice. Its an unacceptable delay.

To act like Ben & Jerrys is some sort of corporate behemoth looking to exploit the labors of the proletariat so they can roll around in dollar bills is purely insane. Ben & Jerrys most popular flavors are plays on current events, and even engage in ice cream-based activism: Their Australian branch refuses to sell two scoops of the same flavor to customers until same-sex marriage is legalized there, for example.

These kinds of campaigns are rarely sane, however. TheMary Suepoints out, what good is being able to get a gay marriage if you cant even take the time off of work? Farmworkers can be queer, too, the site exclaims. Who will think of the non-binary migrant workers? ClearlynotBen & Jerrys.

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Progressives Now Angry at Social Justice Icon Ben & Jerry's Over Workers' Rights - Heat Street