More Paid Holidays For Cannabis Workers At Zen Leaf Dispensary Through Agreement With Teamsters

Cannabis advisors and agents-in-charge at the Zen Leaf cannabis dispensary in Evanston, Illinois unanimously ratified their first collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local 777. Zen Leaf is a subsidiary of the multi-state operator Verano Holdings VRNOF.

"We successfully negotiated and ratified this collective bargaining agreement in less than three months, which is probably the fastest turnaround we've had for a first contract in this industry," stated Jim Glimco, president of Local 777. "We're organizing and winning contracts faster than ever before because everyone in this field recognizes we're a force to be reckoned with. Congratulations to all of the workers who stuck together to demand a contract with the same high standards we've secured for other multi-state cannabis operators in Illinois."

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The three-year contract includes a number of changes including more paid holidays, a minimum 14% wage increase over the lifetime of the agreement, due process during disciplinary matters, and a guarantee that a successor employer will assume the contract if another company buys the dispensary. Workers also receive retirement benefits, something that is only available to union members at the company.

"Cannabis workers are organizing and bargaining better contracts faster because they know a Teamsters contract brings stability to their jobs and respect from the industry for the work they do," said Jesse Case, Teamsters food processing division director.

The news comes after workers at PharmaCann, one of the largest vertically integrated cannabis companies in the U.S., joined Teamsters Local 337 following an overwhelming unionization vote at the company's Michigan facility.

In recent years, Teamsters have worked to unionize workers in the emerging cannabis industry. Efforts included the Cannabist Company CBSTF in California, Cresco Labs CRLBF in Illinois, Grassdoor in California, Nabis in California and Verano Holdings inChicago.

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• Teamsters Added 50,000 New Members In Less Than 3 Years, Partly Due To Cannabis Industry Growth

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