Workers At Two More Cannabis Companies Unionize With Teamsters And UFCW

The Teamsters and United Food and Commercial Workers unionized more new members of the cannabis industry.

Nearly 100 drivers and warehouse workers at Grassdoor, one of the largest cannabis delivery platforms in California, joined Teamsters Local 2785, uniting them with more than 300 of their union brothers and sisters at the company's Southern California location who affiliated with the Teamsters in January.

Carrie Qualls and Alexander Torres are drivers for Grassdoor in Brisbane.

"Why do I think it's important for cannabis workers to unionize? Well, grocery stores are union, construction workers are union – everyone else can unionize, so why not us?" Qualls stated.

"There's certain things I want that we don't get – paid vacation, paid time off – and I think by joining the Teamsters, we can negotiate to get those things," Torres said. "The Teamsters are great – if something at work comes around and it's not to your liking, they'll be there to back you up."

Teamsters have been quite active in the cannabis industry in the past year. Their recent organizing activity includes:

• Unionizing budtenders at Captain Jack's Dispensary in San Bernardino, California, in February.

• Miscellaneous employees, Teamsters Local Union 987 won an unfair labor practice complaint filed against SNDL Inc, SNDL (formerly Sundial Growers Inc.) at the Alberta Labor Relations Board.

• In late November, Teamsters Local 777 helped organize an unfair labor practice strike outside Revolution Global’s Enlightened Dispensary in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Valley Wellness

United Food and Commercial Workers Local 360 announced the decision by workers at Valley Wellness in Raritan, NJ., to unionize as members of UFCW. As Valley Wellness notes on its website “providing great products starts with a great foundation...that means employing a knowledgeable staff [and] providing a welcoming environment.” According to Valley Wellness, its “staff knows cannabis inside and out,” and is noted as a key driver of customer satisfaction and, ultimately, the company’s current and future success.

“Valley Wellness, and its owner Sarah Trent, has already proven to be a great addition to the growing New Jersey cannabis community,” stated Hugh Giordano, UFCW Local 360’s director of organizing. “We’re looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with what is one of the first stand-alone dispensary operators in the state, a company that provides a refreshing alternative to the large number of multi-state operators here.”

UFCW’s recent activity in the cannabis industry includes:

• Employees at Curaleaf’s CURLF Edgewater, NJ., dispensary voted to organize as members of United Food and Commercial Workers, in October.

• Workers at the Trulieve TCNNF North Shore medical cannabis dispensary voted to join Local 1776 in September.

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Photo: Benzinga edit with photos by Bits And Splits and Oleksandrum on Shutterstock