Workers at the Greenlight Marijuana Dispensary in Joplin, Missouri, voted to unionize, joining the UFCW Local 2. The 21 workers said they organized to seek better job security, more consistent scheduling, equitable tip distribution, better pay, and protection from unilateral corporate changes.
In a statement, Kelli Jones, a budtender, cited job security as “crucial” for the workers, noting that the dispensary was recently acquired by Good Day Farm.
“We can now negotiate a first contract that secures more consistent hours and better pay for all of us.”— Jones in a press release
Evan Arehart, another budtender, said in a statement that unionization will allow him and his co-workers to have a say in how their tips are distributed, and will offer “protection from corporate whims” and give workers “the ability to bargain for better wages.”
In a statement, Chad Price, UFCW Local 2 director of collective bargaining and retail servicing, commended the workers “on their solidarity and commitment to improving their workplace.”
“UFCW Local 2 is proud to see the organizing momentum in Missouri’s cannabis industry,” he said, “and we will continue supporting workers as they unionize and secure strong contracts.”
Last month, a dozen employees at a Greenlight Dispensary in Springfield claimed they were fired for meeting to discuss unionization. Greenlight representatives alleged that the employees were actually fired for consuming cannabis while on the job.
Over the summer, workers at High Profile Cannabis Dispensary in Columbia, Key Dispensary in Springfield, and at CBD Kraton, which has 16 stores across the state, all voted to join UFCW unions, according to UFCW.
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