The 75 UFCW Local 27 members provide essential care and services at Kentmere Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing in Wilmington, Del. The nonprofit facility offers rehabilitation, short-term sub-acute skilled nursing, long-term care, Alzheimer’s and dementia care.

Their three-year collective bargaining agreement, finalized last month, delivers significant increases in wages, benefits, and uniform allowances, as well as additional paid time off, including an added paid holiday for Juneteenth. The agreement also strengthens leave language for members who need to take time off for personal reasons.

“This new agreement represents an important investment in the hardworking men and women who provide essential care and services at Kentmere Skilled Nursing. The improvements demonstrate what workers can accomplish when they stand together and bargain collectively,” said UFCW Local 27 President Jason Chorpenning.

Negotiators commended the members for their patience during the lengthy bargaining process. “Our committee was motivated and very focused about what they wanted to achieve in these negotiations, and despite some contentious moments at the bargaining table, they remained strong,” said Nelson Hill, UFCW Local 27 lead negotiator, vice president, and executive assistant to the president.

“This contract is well deserved and has been a long time coming, and we are proud to be members of UFCW Local 27,” said Rose Elliott, shop steward.

This organizing win marks the second time a union election has been administered by the Arizona Agricultural Labor Relations Board (AERB). The workers at the Trulieve cannabis dispensary petitioned for union recognition through the AERB, and employees who were eligible to participate in the election included those in certain job classifications within the cultivation and post-harvest departments.

Following the announcement of results by the AERB, UFCW Local 99 President Jim McLaughlin celebrated the historic victory for cannabis workers and thanked the state board for its cooperation throughout the election process.

“Today, employees Trulieve Magnolia have proved that no matter the obstacle, when working people stand together in solidarity and demand better for themselves and their families, there is nothing they cannot achieve,” said McLaughlin. “As we celebrate this historic win for workers, I would also like to commend AERB Executive Secretary Lisa James and the entire board for their commitment to ensuring a free and fair election for all eligible employees.”

“Trulieve has the potential to become one of the first billion-dollar cannabis companies in the world,” said one of the workers. “My co-workers make this prosperity possible, and to learn how much they are affected by this company’s greed has been eye-opening. Sometimes I feel like people can feel trapped in this industry. With a union, we can be protected from exploitation and we can finally get the treatment that we deserve.”

Over 20 workers at Feast BBQ and over 15 workers at Royals Hot Chicken voted to join UFCW Local 227 on Dec. 21 and Jan. 11. The workers, who are employed as front and back of house service crew, dishwashers, cooks, and shift leaders, voted to join UFCW Local 227 because they were concerned about insufficient wages and scheduling, and treatment by management.

Feast BBQ and Royals Hot Chicken are owned by the same restaurant group and many of the workers know each other. The campaign to organize these workers included holding meetings with workers from both restaurants and having a shared discord channel. The local also relied heavily on the Prompt texting platform to inoculate workers against the restaurant group’s anti-union campaign and keep them informed about the process of unionizing.

“We are excited to welcome workers from Feast BBQ and Royals Hot Chicken to the labor movement,” said UFCW Local 227 President Bob Blair. “Despite stall tactics from their employer, these workers stood together and won their union. Together, we will negotiate a great union contract that will help to raise restaurant industry standards for workers in our city.”

At the three-day conference, Aquila Barbosas Rodrigues from UFCW Local 1445, Zion Grae-El from UFCW Local 3000, and Aly Silver from UFCW Local 338 RWDSU-UFCW participated on a panel alongside International Representative Mecca Ross and CEO of Cannabliss and union advocate Norbert Pickett. 

The worker-led panel highlighted the essential role the UFCW plays in helping to build a more equitable cannabis industry from the ground-up. “I feel like unions are the great equalizers because they create generational wealth by giving us the promotions and the benefits and the raises that we deserve,” said Silver. “Union contracts close gender and racial gaps… and that is essential for the Black and Brown workers in this industry.”

In addition to Friday’s worker panel, LaQuita Honeysucker, Director of the Civil Rights and Community Action Department, and Ademola Oyefeso, International Vice President and Director of the Legislative and Political Action Department, participated in a Town Hall that focused on racial and social equity in the cannabis industry, the necessity of federal and state cannabis legislation that prioritizes workers’ rights, and the role that UFCW plays in ensuring that every cannabis workers has the right to a good union job. 

You can watch the Equity For Workers in Today’s Cannabis Industry: A Workers Panel here. 

“As America’s meatpacking and food processing union, UFCW applauds the Biden Administration and the Department of Agriculture for working to improve capacity and create a fairer, more diverse meat and poultry industry,” said UFCW International President Marc Perrone in a statement.

“The investments announced this week through the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program are admirable, but they’re missing a crucial focus: workers.

“Any attempt to expand or improve this industry moving forward must include specific provisions for fair labor standards that protect workers and safeguards the hard-fought protections they’ve already won at unionized processing facilities around the country. The goal of expanding capacity and diversifying the amount of producers in the industry is naturally aligned with the needs of the workforce who will ultimately make these operations run.

“Let’s not leave those processing and agriculture workers behind and diligently build programs that prioritize their needs too.”

“Unions built southeast Michigan and we’re honored to be the newest part of the rebuilding effort,” said Michael, who is a “luminary” at the dispensary. “A unionized Lume means better working conditions for employees, better relationships between the store and corporate management, and an improved experience for cannabis enthusiasts.”

“Unions got us the weekend over a century ago,” said Kyle, who is also a “luminary” at the dispensary. “It’s time for the next generation to continue to improve upon their legacy.”

“We are very pleased to announce the newest addition to the UFCW 876 family,” said UFCW Local 876 President Dan Pedersen. “Congratulations to the Monroe Lume workers who voted to organize. These workers stood together because they know that having a union contract is the way to create a sustainable future as a cannabis worker.”

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PIERRE, SD – Today,the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 304A, which represents 2,500 workers in South Dakota, leadership and meatpacking essential worker members testified before the South Dakota Senate Energy and Commerce Committee on the dire need to provide protections and workplace safety for meat and poultry processing workers.

The following are excerpts from prepared remarks UFCW Local 304A President BJ Motley delivered today before the South Dakota Senate Energy and Commerce Committee:

“As state legislators, you have the authority and responsibility to protect our state’s frontline workers who have bravely worked throughout this crisis to keep America’s food supply chain strong.  We can no longer accept out-of-court federal agreements that allow meat and poultry processing companies to police their own workforce’s health and safety.

“That is why I urge you to support the South Dakota Safe Workplaces for Meat and Poultry Processing Workers Act.  This proposal will hold meat and poultry processing companies accountable for the health and safety of their workforce and ensure America’s food supply chain remains strong.”

The following are excerpts from UFCW Local 304A essential meatpacking workers on their support for the South Dakota Safe Workplaces for Meat and Poultry Processing Workers Act:

• “From the beginning of the pandemic, it has been difficult to get Smithfield to recognize the threat COVID-19 posed to workers. Today that attitude is even worse, Smithfield has yet to establish any consistent cleaning and sanitation standards. Workers in this industry deserve consistent health and safety protections that hold employers accountable. This proposal does that and I urge you to support it,” said Kevin Kaul, distribution center worker at Smithfield in Sioux Falls and UFCW Local 304A member.

• “Today Smithfield operates the plant as if the pandemic is over and no longer acknowledges any personal responsibility to protect their workforce from getting COVID-19. This creates an environment that encourages workers to come into work sick. This proposal would require Smithfield to provide workers reasonable access to paid sick and safe time. It is time that we change the ‘work while sick’ culture in this country,” said Bobby Conner, lead man at Smithfield in Sioux Falls and UFCW Local 304A member.

• “The public is not aware of how difficult it is for workers to socially distance on the kill floor. Smithfield’s response of installing plastic shield barriers between workers becomes more of an impediment to meet current line speeds than it is to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This proposal requires companies to allow workers to maintain a 6-foot distance between workers at all workstations and common areas. I urge you to support this proposal,” said Scott Worden, electrician at Smithfield in Sioux Falls and UFCW Local 304A member.

• “Smithfield always denies workers’ health and safety claims in the plant. Sometimes workers are given light work duty when they need further medical attention. Smithfield employs its own nurses that often do what is best for the company instead of the worker.”

Background:

Since the beginning of this pandemic UFCW Local 304A has been proactive in advocating for legislation to protect America’s food supply and meatpacking workers.

Today, UFCW Local 304A President BJ Motley testified and participated in the South Dakota Senate Energy and Commerce Committee hearing on Senate Bill 145.

In their testimony, President Motley and UFCW members, discussed the conditions meatpacking workers have faced on the frontlines of the outbreak and called for the support of the South Dakota Safe Workplaces for Meat and Poultry Processing Workers Act that will help hold meat and poultry processing companies accountable for the health and safety of their workforce and ensure America’s food supply chain remains strong.

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UFCW Local 304A is part of UFCW International, the largest private sector union in the United States. UFCW International represents 1.3 million professionals and their families in healthcare, grocery stores, meatpacking, food processing, retail shops and other industries. Our members serve our communities in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Learn more about the UFCW at ufcw.org.

Former NFL player Israel Idonije visited the historic tannery in Chicago to learn more about how the UFCW works together with management to ensure both high quality leather and good, sustainable jobs.

“You talk about a brotherhood, a sisterhood, a union—a family—and the commitment of people working together to support one another. It’s really special,” said Idonije.

“Just because you don’t agree on everything doesn’t mean you can’t work together,” says Skip Horween, president of Horween. “We do recognize that we are in this together.”

Politics and Prose (Washington DC) – UFCW Local 400

Workers at Politics and Prose in Washington DC made history as the first ever Washington DC bookstore to unionize as they joined UFCW Local 400.

More than 50 workers across the three P&P bookstore locations voted to unionize in order to to negotiate a contract that secures higher wages, a standardized pay scale, and pay transparency.

 “We are proud to join the growing movement of booksellers and baristas across the country who have unionized their workplaces,” said the P&P organizing committee. 

Read UFCW Local 400 statement here.

Half Price Books (Minnesota) – UFCW Local 663 & 1189

In December 2021, workers from three Half Price Books locations in Twin Cities, Minnesota won union recognition from a National Labor Relations Board election, making this the first union at the national chain Half Price Books. 

Workers unionized with UFCW Locals 663 and 1189 to secure livable wages, better working conditions and a voice in their workplace.

Stores in Coon Rapids, Roseville and St. Paul filed for union election mid-October of last year. Ballots were sent to workers by the U.S. Mail and a certified election count was scheduled for Thursday, December 16 at 2 p.m. All three locations voted to unionize.

On January 6, 2022, workers from the St. Louis Park location at Half Price Books won union recognition from a NLRB election, making it the fourth store to unionize with the national chain.

Read UFCW Local 663 statement here.

Greenlight Bookstore and Yours Truly (New York City, NY) – RWDSU/UFCW

About 40 workers at Greenlight Bookstores and Yours Truly stationery stores in Brooklyn, N.Y., joined the RWDSU/UFCW last summer. The workers in the bargaining unit handle sales, stocking, and information services in the stores.

In addition to Greenlight Bookstore and Yours Truly, the RWDSU also represents workers at book and stationery stores across New York City including McNally Jackson, Goods for the Study, and Book Culture.

“We’re proud to welcome the workers of Greenlight Bookstores and Yours Truly stationery stores into our union,” said RWDSU President Stuart Appelbaum. “Together, they won recognition from their employer, and showed that the best way for working people to protect themselves and their families is to join together in a union.”

Read RWDSU statement here.

Are you a bookstore worker who would like to enjoy the benefits of a union?

Take the first step towards unionizing!

From dispensaries, labs, delivery services, and kitchens, to manufacturing, processing, grow facilities and more, UFCW helps workers secure the great benefits of a union contract.

The median salary for cannabis workers is 10.7% higher than the median salary in the United States

Cannabis job growth is expected to average 21% year through 2022.

As part of UFCW’s commitment to build a successful industry with a thriving, diverse, and skilled workforce, UFCW members can now earn a free online Cannabis Business Fundamentals Certificate through our Free College Benefit Program. 

This program is fully online and consists of the following topics:

• Introduction to Cannabis
• Cannabis Law and Policies
• Cannabis Symptom Management
• Cannabis Retail Customer Support

There are over 30 states that have legalized medical marijuana and, each year, more states are legalizing it for recreational use. As this industry continues to expand, UFCW – the Cannabis Workers’ Union – in partnership with Eastern Gateway Community College (EGCC) are here to kick off your career in this emerging sector!

There’s a growing need for skilled technicians and specialists who can enter this exciting field as:

• Dispensary staff
• Product managers
• Marketing/sales associates.
• And more!

This certificate is embedded in EGCC’s Business Management degree and will best position students for gainful employment in a dispensary and provide a jumping-off point into more advanced study in horticulture, pharmacology, and other advanced topics.

UFCW members and qualifying family members are eligible to enroll in the program.

To take advantage of this benefit, you will need to apply to Eastern Gateway Community College.

For more information or additional support, please call at 888-590-9009.