More than 300 workers are back on the job at a cannabis multistate operator’s cultivation operation in southern Illinois after the resolution of a monthlong strike that union organizers said was also the $30 billion national industry’s biggest-ever strike.
The strike at Ascend Wellness Holdings’ cultivation complex in Barry, Illinois ended earlier this week after the company and workers organized with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 916 agreed to terms on a contract, representatives from both sides said.
“We’re pleased to share that Ascend Wellness Holdings and the Teamsters Local 916 union representing employees at our Barry, Illinois facility have reached an agreement, ending the work stoppage,” Ascend Vice President of Public Affairs Matthew McKenna said in a statement provided to MJBizDaily.
He added: “We appreciate everyone who worked to find a path forward and look forward to welcoming our employees back.”
Why did Illinois cannabis cultivation workers go out on strike?
Workers had gone out on strike in late June after contract negotiations stalled. Union officials said at the time that a disruption at the 110,000-square foot facility threatened the cannabis supply chain in Illinois.
Exact terms of the contract, including pay and benefits details, were not disclosed, but union representatives said the deal “sets a new standard for cannabis cultivation and manufacturing workers across the country.”
In a statement, Kyle Bollinger, president of Local 916, called the monthlong strike “extraordinary.”
“For 30 days, they stood shoulder to shoulder and their courage forced Ascend to bargain a fair contract,” he said.
“This strike sends a clear message to cannabis companies that workers who drive their profits deserve to be treated with respect.”
Do cannabis industry strikes work?
The Teamsters’ claim of a victory follows another lengthy strike at a Cresco Labs-owned medical cannabis dispensary in Pennsylvania. That 20-day action also ended with a contract workers ratified, Teamsters officials said. However, that action involved only 18 workers, not several hundred.
Last fall, another strike at a Teamsters-organized Pennsylvania medical cannabis dispensary, this one operated by Chicago-based MSO Green Thumb Industries, ended after 45 days – believed to be the longed in industry history.
These union victories are tempered by some setbacks elsewhere.
Workers at a Kansas City, Missouri-area cultivation facility operated by Local Cannabis Co. recently rejected joining the Teamsters, the Kansas City Business Journal reported.
As for Ascend, the company is one of several major marijuana multistate operators to prepare for uplisting to a major stock exchange following the Justice Department’s reclassification of medical cannabis as as Schedule 3 drug.
