Judge Halts Dairy Farmers of America Plant Closure in Vermont

U.S. District Judge William K. Sessions III issued a five-day temporary restraining order on Monday to halt the planned closure of the Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) processing plant in St. Albans, Vermont. The order follows a lawsuit filed by Teamsters Local 597, which alleges the closure is an illegal act of retaliation against nearly 80 workers who struck in 2025 over contract negotiations and working conditions.

The union claims the shutdown is motivated by anti-union sentiment and cites an internal memo suggesting the closure would help decertify the union. DFA has denied these allegations, asserting the memo is a fraudulent, AI-generated fake. The cooperative maintains the decision to idle the facility followed a thorough review of market dynamics and was necessary to protect farmer-owners from ongoing financial losses.

U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch have urged DFA to reverse the decision, with Sanders joining workers on a picket line Wednesday to protest the closure. Despite the court order, workers reported they were still denied entry to the facility on Wednesday. A federal court hearing is scheduled for Thursday in Burlington to determine if the stay should be extended through a preliminary injunction.