Hundreds of unionized employees at a marijuana multistate operator-owned Illinois cultivation facility walked off the job Thursday in what could be one of the biggest labor stoppages the legal cannabis industry has seen to date, according to union officials.
In an action that could disrupt the supply chain in Illinois, more than 300 workers organized with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 916 are on strike at Ascend Wellness Holdings’ licensed cultivation operation in Barry, Illinois, Teamsters officials said in a press release.
The latest strike follows stoppages at medical cannabis stores in Pennsylvania, including a 45-day strike last fall that observers believe is the longest in marijuana industry history.
Why are cannabis workers out on strike at Ascend Wellness in Illinois?
The strike in Illinois, the first at a Teamsters-organized cultivation operation, comes as negotiations between the company and workers over a contract stalled, representatives from both sides said.
“Ascend caused this strike by refusing to bargain a fair contract with the workers who make this company run,” JP Fyans, president of Teamsters Local 916, said in a statement.
“They illegally fired a bargaining committee member to retaliate against them,” he added. “We will not tolerate that … from anyone.”
The Ascend facility remains open and operational, a company spokesperson told MJBizDaily.
Matthew McKenna, Ascend’s vice president of public affairs, disputed the union’s account and said the company “bargained in good faith throughout this process.”
“Our last, best and final offer includes a strong economic package and remains on the table while the union reviews it,” he said in a statement.
“We are disappointed employees were not given the opportunity to vote on the proposal and continue to urge the union to allow a ratification vote.
“We remain committed to reaching a fair agreement.”
Do cannabis labor strikes work?
According to public filings, Ascend’s grow in Barry – a small town near the Missouri border in Southern Illinois – is 110,000 square feet and boasts ethane and butane extraction facilities to make vaporizer cartridges as well as a kitchen.
According to a public description from lighting company Fluence, the cultivation operation is split between a 52,000-square-foot indoor grow with four double-stacked rooms and a 58,000-square-foot greenhouse.
Pay at the facility starts at around $18 an hour, according to Indeed.com employee reviews.
The strike follows a recent setback for the Teamsters in Illinois.
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Earlier this month, 19 employees of an Ascend Wellness cannabis store in Chicago Ridge voted to de-unionize, according to National Labor Relations Board records.
That effort, called a decertification process, follows other decertifications across the country.
