Employees at Vireo Health of New York have ratified their first union contract with Local 338 of the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union, UFCW, according to a press release. The contract provides a living wage, paid time off, healthcare coverage, guaranteed raises, and retirement benefits.
Ari Hoffnung, CEO of Vireo Health of New York, called the contract “an innovative agreement” that will ensure the best interests of their employees as the company becomes more successful.
“Our commitment to providing employees with fair wages and great benefits will not only help us recruit and retain the necessary talent to provide patients with high-quality products and compassionate care, but also build a profitable business,” he said in the release.
John R. Durso, Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW president, said the agreement “provides a peace of mind” for the employees employed at all of Vireo’s New York dispensaries, and manufacturing and cultivation facilities.
“The strong union contract approved by the workers at Vireo will ensure that they have secure, middle-class jobs so that they can provide for themselves and their families,” Durso said. “The workers in this industry are incredibly dedicated to the patients they serve.”
Vireo Health LLC, the parent company of the New York arm, is the only medical cannabis company to have partnered with labor in each of the three states it operates.