Lifelong Teamster On How Cannabis Workers Are Rejecting 'Churn-And-Burn-Model' Toward Prosperous Careers

Teamsters Local 777 members at Verilife dispensaries in Illinois, owned by PharmaCann, ratified their first collective bargaining agreements in early May, which provide workers a 20% wage increase, additional full-time positions, guaranteed gratuities and employer-funded retirement contributions. 

"This is a perfect example of what can happen when an employer works with us, instead of against us," said Peter Finn, Teamsters western region international VP and food processing division director.  Over 100 workers will be covered by these agreements once ratified. 

They got a good deal, thanks to guidance from the Teamsters. However, negotiations don't always proceed so smoothly.

At times even displaying pro-union buttons can become a contentious issue. In mid-April, Green Thumb Industries Inc. GTBIF, the parent company of the Rise dispensary in Niles, demanded that workers remove their pro-union buttons while on the job, which violated the National Labor Relations Act. In response, Teamsters Local 777 initiated an open-ended unfair labor practice strike that lasted for 13 days. The company raised wages for strikebreakers but not for workers who refused to cross the picket line. 

According to Teamsters spokesperson, Matt McQuaid, the company raised wages for strikebreakers, but not the workers who refused to cross the picket line. “When we learned of the increase, we returned to work to demand it be maintained and offered to everyone. Since we have returned, we also learned about increased paid time off, which we are also demanding.“

The company has now been charged with a total of 10 unfair labor practices related to its conduct before and during the work stoppage. 

To get a closer look at how the Teamsters have stepped up support for the cannabis industry, Benzinga spoke with Jim Glimco, a lifelong Teamster and president of Local 777. He explained that the union, founded in 1903, is one of the oldest among the five largest in the U.S. with a membership of 1.2 million. It now has approximately 1,000 members in the cannabis industry.

“The Teamsters have historically represented workers in the supply chain, but in the modern era we represent everyone from A – Z: airline mechanics to zookeepers,” Glimco said. “If you look at the cannabis business, it has the same core components as other industries… retail, transportation, warehousing, distribution, agriculture, etc. That’s one of the reasons we’re the best choice for workers in this industry when they go to form a union.”

The Teamsters have achieved significant milestones in the cannabis industry, particularly in Illinois (Verilife dispensaries) where they negotiated industry-leading contracts at several cannabis retailers, secured improved wages, retirement benefits, protections against unjust termination and enhanced safety measures, Glimco noted.

Challenges Faced By Cannabis Workers

Glimco stressed safety concerns, particularly in retail and distribution due to the inability of cannabis companies to access traditional financing. This situation compels workers to handle large amounts of cash and products, increasing their vulnerability to robberies, at times ending in violence. Workers involved in cannabis cultivation face risks of exposure to toxic chemicals and dust particles when employers fail to address occupational hazards.

“I think the bigger issue, though, isn’t what cannabis workers lack compared to workers in other industries, but rather what non-union workers lack compared to union workers, both inside and outside of cannabis,” Glimco said, adding that the issues are the same as other non-union industries face. 

“No job security, executive pay that’s hundreds of times what the average worker makes, little to no retirement or health care benefits, no recourse against bullying or harassment on the job, the treatment of workers as replaceable widgets. It’s a nascent industry, and we have an opportunity to prevent a race to the bottom that we see in so many other sectors of the economy.”

The Teamsters And The Cannabis Industry: A Good Match

Glimco called the men and women who went on strike at GTI some of the bravest, most tenacious, most inspiring people in the cannabis industry today.”

He told Benzinga that generally the cannabis culture is a culture of social justice and the people in the industry want to do something positive “and unionization is the answer.”

Photo: Courtesy of Teamsters Local 777