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.”

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. 

“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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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.

UFCW Local 371 and UFCW Local 919 have been leading voices in the push to strengthen Connecticut cannabis jobs as the industry expands across the state. Experts say the Connecticut adult-use marijuana market could generate $250 million in sales in the first full year and $725 million in the fourth year.

UFCW Local 371 President Ronald Petronella and UFCW Local 919 President Mark Espinosa released the following joint statement:

“Connecticut working families need an economy that puts them first. With this bill, Connecticut can create thousands of good-paying cannabis jobs that will strengthen our communities and help to speed our economic recovery as we emerge from the pandemic.

“States across the Northeast have already tapped into the economic promise of cannabis. Creating a strong cannabis market here in Connecticut with clear regulations that prioritize good wages and worker safety is essential to ensuring we build the foundation for long-term economic growth in the industry. As the unions for thousands of Connecticut frontline workers, we look forward to working to create thousands of good paying, family sustaining cannabis jobs here in Connecticut.”

As the Cannabis industry continues to grow in Connecticut and many other states, UFCW – the union for cannabis workers – is proud to support good jobs with living wages, comprehensive benefits and a voice in the workplace, all backed by a union contract.

Wherever cannabis is legalized, the UFCW is committed to organizing and building a successful industry with a thriving, diverse and skilled workforce.

FALL RIVER, MA– Today, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 328 (UFCW), the union for 11,000 workers in a variety of industries in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, announced that cannabis cultivation workers employed at Cresco/Sunnyside in Fall River, Massachusetts, voted overwhelmingly to approve their first union contract. 

The UFCW 328 agreement secures guaranteed pay increases, fair scheduling policies, offers important workplace protections and strengthens retirement benefits and employee discounts. Cresco cultivation workers will see up to an 18.7% pay increase over the next three years. This comes as the Massachusetts cannabis industry generated $81.7 million in 2020 tax revenue and is expected to continue to grow this year.

Molly Balbuena, a three-year employee of Cresco in Fall River and a member of the negotiating team, celebrated the union win with her co-workers. “I am so proud of our hardworking team at Cresco for sticking together and securing this victory. We are so excited to have secured the better future and collective voice we were looking for when we formed our union with UFCW. We urge all cannabis workers to come together and say Union Yes!”  

BACKGROUND:

When Cresco cultivation employees began organizing with UFCW Local 328, the workers wanted to address issues relating to low pay and the lack of workplace protections. Workers emphasized that they liked their jobs but wanted to have a real voice at work and a collective voice within the growing industry.  

In November 2020, the Cresco cultivation workers completed the process of joining UFCW Local 328 after the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations certified their petition, giving them the legal right to negotiate a union contract.

Cresco Labs is one of the largest multistate cannabis operators in the country and operates a cultivation and processing facility as well as Sunnyside Dispensary in Fall River.  The Cresco workers are just the latest group of workers to join the UFCW in Massachusetts. 

UFCW Local 328 is leading the push to unionize Massachusetts and Rhode Island cannabis workers. In April, 2020, workers at Greenleaf Compassionate Care Center in Rhode Island unionized, voted to join Local 328.  UFCW Local 328 currently represents cultivation workers at Ocean State Cultivation Center in Warwick, Rhode Island, who unanimously ratified their first union contract in October 2020. In addition, Curaleaf workers in Hanover, Massachusetts, recently voted to join UFCW Local 328. 

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UFCW Local 328 represents over 11,000 workers in a range of industries across Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. As the recreational and medical cannabis industries have become mainstream across the United States, the UFCW has represented workers in cultivation and retail operations nationwide and has fought to ensure that working families have a seat at the table to secure important workplace protections and share in the gains and success of the cannabis industry. The UFCW currently is the largest representative of cannabis workers with tens of thousands of members in the industry nationwide.

HAYWARD, CA — Today, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 5, which represents 30,000 food and retail workers across the San Francisco Bay Area, announced the first-ever agreements to unionize California workers at a cannabis manufacturer and a cannabis lab. The agreements are between UFCW and each of the companies, CannaCraft Manufacturing and Sonoma Lab Works. Additionally, UFCW Local 5 ratified the first union contract for Sonoma Lab Workers employees earlier this week. Both these victories set a precedent for even more cannabis workers to unionize in California and across the country.

UFCW Local 5 President John Nunes:

“We are excited about these cannabis organizing victories and we feel that CannaCraft Manufacturing, Sonoma Lab Works, the customers, and the workers will all be better off with these agreements. Currently, we are working on three promising cannabis organizing campaigns and are looking forward to continuing to help more workers in the industry win a union.”

With this cannabis worker union win in the Bay Area, UFCW Local 5 will represent workers at both CannaCraft Manufacturing and Sonoma Lab Works, each located in Santa Rosa, California. In addition to these victories, UFCW Local 5 has been a leading advocate for Bay Area cannabis workers and with key victories at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the union has helped strengthen the rights and protections of cannabis workers nationwide.

BACKGROUND: 

UFCW is America’s largest cannabis workers union, representing over 10,000 cannabis workers across the country. As states and cities continue to embrace the good-paying jobs that the cannabis industry can create, many more cannabis workers are unionizing with UFCW. 

UFCW Local 5 has been a leading voice for California cannabis workers and has won key victories for workers across the industry in recent NLRB cases:

• GrupoFlor Cannabis
  • On June 4, 2021, UFCW Local 5 secured $60,000 in back pay and reinstatement of laid off cannabis workers at the company in an NLRB ruling on the company’s actions to lay off all its union workers in November 2020. The NLRB ruling has also mandated the company recognize UFCW Local 5 as the union for these employees.
• Urbn Leaf Cannabis Dispensary
  • In October 2019, San Jose cannabis workers with the company won a union election. The company appealed the union election outcome to the NLRB, but the union victory was upheld and Urbn Leaf cannabis workers are now represented by UFCW Local 5, with the union now working with the company to negotiate the employees’ first union contract.
• Vallejo Health Holistics (VHHC)
  • In January 2021, the company attempted to strip its cannabis dispensary workers of their union recognition with UFCW Local 5. This came nearly 10 years after the cannabis workers first unionized in 2012. 
  • On May 27, 2021, the NLRB ruled in favor of UFCW Local 5, which filed unfair labor practices (ULP) charges, and found that the employer illegally withdrew recognition from the union and the company must now recognize the union and bargain in good faith. 
  • UFCW Local 5 is currently in bargaining on a union contract for these cannabis workers. Additionally, the NLRB is also considering pending charges filed by UFCW Local 5 stating the company illegally fired two union supporters.
• Urbana Cannabis Dispensary
  • In January 2021, the company fired pro-union workers with the UFCW Local 5 organizing committee. San Francisco cannabis workers at the company had been organizing since May of 2020. UFCW Local 5 filed charges with the NLRB and the board issued a complaint and a preliminary 10(J) injunction, which would require the employer to reinstate the worker with back pay. 

UFCW cannabis worker victories have been secured at a wide range of companies across the industry, including at Nature’s Root Labs in Colorado, Union Harvest in Florida,  Windy City Cannabis in Illinois, Sira Naturals in Massachusetts, Perfect Union in California, Curaleaf in Rhode Island, OHM Grow/Pure Fire Dispensary in Colorado, Sunnyside (Cresco Labs) in New York, Garden State Dispensary in New Jersey, Vireo Health in Maryland, and DC Holistic Wellness in Washington, D.C.

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UFCW is 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. 

HARTFORD, CT — Today, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), which represents 13,000 Connecticut frontline workers in food, retail and healthcare statewide, applauded the passage of Senate Bill 1201,will legalize recreational, adult-use of cannabis in Connecticut, including its sale and safe regulation. The bill now heads to the desk of Governor Ned Lamont for his signature, which would make Connecticut the 18th state to legalize recreational cannabis as more states embrace the economic benefits the industry is creating.

UFCW Local 371 and UFCW Local 919 have been leading voices in the push to strengthen Connecticut cannabis jobs as the industry expands across the state. Experts say the Connecticut adult-use marijuana market could generate $250 million in sales in the first full year and $725 million in the fourth year.

UFCW Local 371 President Ronald Petronella and UFCW Local 919 President Mark Espinosa released the following joint statement:

“Connecticut working families need an economy that puts them first. With this bill, Connecticut can create thousands of good-paying cannabis jobs that will strengthen our communities and help to speed our economic recovery as we emerge from the pandemic. 

“States across the Northeast have already tapped into the economic promise of cannabis. Creating a strong cannabis market here in Connecticut with clear regulations that prioritize good wages and worker safety is essential to ensuring we build the foundation for long-term economic growth in the industry. As the unions for thousands of Connecticut frontline workers, we look forward to working to create thousands of good paying, family sustaining cannabis jobs here in Connecticut.”

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UFCW Local 371 and UFCW Local 919 are part of UFCW International, which is 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. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), which represents 1.3 million essential food and retail workers and is America’s largest cannabis workers union, announced with Union Harvest and Nature’s Root Labs the first-ever national agreement to unionize the entire workforce of a joint cannabis venture. Today’s agreement between UFCW and these companies in Longmont, Colorado marks a first of its kind, across-the-board unionized CBD joint venture that sets a precedent for even more workers in the industry to unionize.

UFCW Local 7 in Colorado will represent workers in production and packaging at Nature’s Root Labs in Longmont, which is the manufacturer for Union Harvest. UFCW Local 1625 in Florida will represent CBD workers in purchasing, sales, and worker/customer education at Union Harvest’s Clearwater location. With CBD now available to purchase nationwide, this UFCW deal with Union Harvest and Nature’s Root Labs is the first-ever national union contract for CBD workers and has the potential to transform the country’s $13.3 billion CBD market. 

Colorado Cannabis Worker at Nature’s Root Labs, Ataya Arreguin: “Job security is important, especially during a pandemic. I have two kids and throughout the past year I have been worried about losing my job because of the pandemic. Now that we have a union, I feel even more confident that these jobs are secure and that they can become a great career that help us build a better life for us and our families.” 

Colorado Cannabis Worker at Nature’s Root Labs, Heidi Berringer: “When the pandemic hit, my husband, who is a union member, knew he would have the support he needed and that his benefits and job would be protected. It’s exciting to know that with our union, we will be able to negotiate these types of protections and continue to have our voices heard as Nature’s Root Labs continues to grow.”

Union Harvest Managing Director and Founder Justin Eisenach: “We are committed to running a pro-union company that will produce and sell high quality CBD products to consumers across the nation and honor the hard work of our employees with a union contract. That means higher wages and better benefits as well as giving workers a voice, which can be critical in any business, but particularly important in an emerging industry such as cannabis. Having a good relationship with our employees is important and a signed union contract is part of that. Now consumers will have a choice when they purchase CBD and can buy USA union-made, union-packed, union-sold products.” 

UFCW Local 7 President Kim Cordova in Colorado: “We are excited about this new contract and our role to expand into this national market. The past year has demonstrated the need and benefits of having a unionized workplace, and we feel that Union Harvest, the customers, and the workers will all be better off with this agreement and contract in place.” 

UFCW 1625 President Ed Chambers in Florida: “We feel this is a very positive development for workers and consumers here in Florida and across the nation. CBD can be a very important and helpful product for so many people, but until today they have not had a chance to purchase from a USA-Made union product.” 

BACKGROUND: 

UFCW is America’s largest cannabis workers union, representing over 10,000 cannabis workers across the country. As states and cities continue to embrace the good-paying jobs that the cannabis industry can create, many more cannabis workers are unionizing with UFCW. 

UFCW cannabis worker victories have been secured at a wide range of companies across the industry, including at Windy City Cannabis in Illinois, Sira Naturals in Massachusetts, Perfect Union in California, Greenleaf in Rhode Island, OHM Grow/Pure Fire Dispensary in Colorado, Sunnyside (Cresco Labs) in New York, Garden State Dispensary in New Jersey, Vireo Health in Maryland, and DC Holistic Wellness in Washington, D.C.

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UFCW is 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.