Local 420 – Why Are Cannabis Workers Starting To Organize Across The Country?

Cannabis workers in the United States are joining the UFCW in droves.

As in other legal industries, workers in the cannabis industry have chosen to legally consolidate their presence by unionizing with great dynamism in states that have legalized markets for cannabis.

The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union

The UFCW union, founded a few years ago, began organizing workers in the cannabis industry in 2013. The union has presented itself as a developing and stabilizing environment for workers in the booming cannabis industry.

The UFCW prides itself on the achievement of currently representing tens of thousands of cannabis workers in the United States. These workers work in the various niches of the industry such as pharmacies, delivery companies, cultivation, production and processing plants, laboratories, kitchens, lounges and many others.

Since its inception, the Union has upheld its goal of ensuring better social benefits, wages and protection against inappropriate actions by employers. She currently has over 10,000 registered workers and continues to advocate union formation and advocacy for cannabis reforms in non-legalized states.

Cannabis workers who have signed up to join the union work either in the medical cannabis industry or in the adult-use industry.

Workers are unionized during this time because …?

There are so many “whys” to highlight at this point, but the main reason workers are massively joining the UFCW right now is none other than the pandemic and the high profits of individual companies during this time.

In 2020 and the first two quarters of 2021, cannabis-related businesses had huge sales in every legalized state. After the government got its share of the sales through tax revenue, it took no steps to ensure that the foot soldiers, that is, the workers, in this industry received their value.

Most of the industry’s CEOs and founders have continued to pay their workers a meager sum even though the company makes thousands, if not millions, of dollars annually. Every month the workers in the cannabis industry hear about the huge sums of money the company makes, but none of those profits flow through to the workers.

An increase in profits should mean a surcharge on workers’ wages or benefits, but these workers have received nothing other than benefits cuts and layoffs.

The workers, realizing that their voice can only be heard with a union, did the legal thing by joining the UFCW union. Now they can ask to be paid through contracts.

The first step in making this work is to organize secure employment contracts for all employees in the cannabis industry. Currently, about 35 states have legalized the manufacture, sale, and distribution of recreational and medicinal marijuana. This means that the UFCW must register cannabis employees from around 35 states. The large states like California, Illinois, and Massachusetts are covered first.

UFCW Local 328 Organization Director Sam Marvin told Filter Magazine in a recent interview about the willingness of cannabis workers across the country to join the union and organize other non-informal workers. Marvin believes these workers will band together to ensure a just future for themselves in the years to come.

Giving the cannabis industry more credibility.

Experts know that widespread unionization is the only way they can give the cannabis industry more legitimacy.

The approved laws in every legalized state allow the use of marijuana, but it does little to remove the discrimination and stigma associated with working in the industry. The more workers band together to secure their future, the more progress they will make in removing the stigma associated with working in the cannabis market.

Casciato, a registered union member, commented that union membership did more to cement cannabis workers as a respectable part of the country’s workforce. He added that they should be viewed as a respectable part of the country’s economy as they generate millions in tax revenue for the government.

Next steps for the UFCW

Although the union has already enrolled over 10,000 workers, it has yet to redouble its recruiting efforts as thousands of workers have no idea they might be unionized.

In an interview with Motherboard, it emerged that four out of five registered workers only became aware of the union when it was approached by the organizers.

A study carried out a few years ago found that around 48 percent of non-union workers are willing to join a union if the opportunity arises. This is where the UFCW organizers come in.

UFCW organizers regularly visit selected companies to get the word out and get the word out.

In the past 12 months the union had made progress in California, Florida, New York, and Colorado. While their efforts are commendable, it is still clear that there is more they could do. More employees should know the concept of cannabis unions.

The United Food and Commer Workers (UFCW) union also consults with the Labor Peace Agreement (LPA). The LPAs will be reviewed as part of this activity to ensure employers are not interfering with the union’s efforts. Every legalized state has started changing its marijuana legislation to include LPAs. This will prevent workers from carrying out mass strike actions that could cripple the industry.

The states have also announced that only companies that are unionized for their employees are qualified to be licensed to operate within the state.

Final note

The future of workers in the cannabis industry depends on how well union efforts work. If the UFCW organizers can make good basic arrangements, nothing but a stable and just future for all cannabis workers will be seen on the streets.

Thousands of workers will continue to join the UFCW union to protect their working hours and raise wage floors. Simply put, the UFCW union will give them an extra layer of job security.

In no time, cannabis workers will be able to dictate what the working family industry will be like.

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