Employees of The Apothecarium Dispensary in Cumberland, Maryland, voted 25-0 to form a union with United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 27.
The Apothecarium’s retail workers unionized “to address longstanding issues, including poor wages, unaffordable benefits, safety concerns and a lack of support from the parent company, TerrAscend Corp.,” the union said in a news release.
The UFCW said the workers’ unionization, which began June 11, came despite “some opposition and disinformation from the company.”
In a June 29 post on its Facebook page, the union accused Ontario, Canada-based TerrAscend of allowing poor working conditions at the Cumberland location.
“The workers had been increasingly agitated about their pay and working conditions since TerrAscend Corp. bought Allegany Medical Marijuana Dispensary,” the post noted.
“Working conditions at the dispensary have been abysmal since the corporate acquisition. Workers have had to endure leaking ceilings, bathrooms in disrepair, exposed electrical wires in the workplace and air conditioning that doesn’t properly circulate throughout the building.”
A TerrAscend spokesperson told MJBizDaily via email that the company “respects our employees’ rights to unionize, as protected by labor laws,”
“The company will maintain an open dialogue with union representatives and uphold a fair and positive work environment for all our employees,” the spokesperson continued.
The union’s victory at The Apothecarium “highlights the growing momentum for unionization within the cannabis sector,” the Local 27’s release noted.
H/T: mjbizdaily.com
