Workers at legal marijuana stores in California and Missouri have voted to join the Teamsters union in what is becoming a growing trend among those working in the marijuana industry.
According to a pair of press releases, 81 workers at Growpacker have organized with Teamsters Local 1932 in San Bernardino, Calif. The company is the largest bottling facility in the California cannabis industry, as well as one its the largest providers of supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution services.
In Missouri, Patient Care Advocates and Dispensary Supervisors at Bloc Dispensary, a subsidiary of Justice Cannabis Company, have voted to join Teamsters Local 618. They are the first group of cannabis workers to unionize with the Teamsters in Missouri.
“This is the fifth group of California cannabis workers who have joined the Teamsters this year, and there are many more on the horizon,” said Peter Finn, Teamsters Western Region International Vice President and Food Processing Division Director. “Workers in this industry want to stay in this industry, and the best way to make it sustainable enough to retain talent is with a Teamster contract.”
Finn says “this is the first of many cultivation, distribution, and retail operations that we’re going to organize throughout Missouri.”
“We’re thrilled to welcome these workers into our union family,” said Randy Korgan, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 1932. “The services this company provides are core industries for our union, and we intend to get the workers at Growpacker the same great wages and benefits that Teamsters at any other logistics employer get.”
Derek Kropp, Local 618 Secretary-Treasurer, says: “Since recreational use and sale was legalized here last February, the average combined cannabis revenue statewide has been more than $100 million per month. A huge amount of that money is going to big multi-state operators like Justice Cannabis. These workers are the reason for the colossal success of this business in such a short period of time, and we’re going to get them a collective bargaining agreement that reflects that.”
