The United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) scored another win in its mission to recruit more members in the marijuana industry when employees at a Sunnyside cannabis retail store in Champaign, Illinois, voted to ratify their first union contract.
Sunnyside is owned and operated by Chicago-based marijuana multistate operator Cresco Labs.
The 22 retail workers will be represented by Local 881 of the UFCW union, according to a news release.
This marks the third Local 881 union contract ratified by Illinois cannabis workers in the past two years.
According to the release, Local 881 negotiated a contract on the workers’ behalf that addressed many of their concerns, including:
- Annual wage increases.
- A ratification bonus.
- Guaranteed paid time off.
- A set employee product discount.
- A grievance procedure related to disciplinary actions.
As of the end of 2021, the UFCW represented roughly 10,000 workers in the legal U.S. marijuana sector.
Last year, the labor union won a series of unionization votes beyond Illinois, including California, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
