On March 7, over 190 members of UFCW Local 1776KS who work at 10 AYR cannabis grow facilities and dispensaries across Pennsylvania ratified a new contract that strengthens wages and benefits. About 65 workers in three of the 10 locations in Pottsville, Bloomsburg and Selinsgrove recently joined UFCW Local 1776KS and are celebrating their first union contract.
The new contract, which covers all AYR workers in the state, provides for significant wage increases, enrollment in strong retirement and savings plans, and robust Health and Welfare provisions.
“It has been a big month for these workers and our local. I am enormously proud to welcome 65 new members from a grow facility in Pottsville, and two new dispensaries in Bloomsburg and Selinsgrove,” said UFCW 1776KS President Wendell Young IV. “The bargaining process creates a space for our members to exercise their rights and develop a real voice on what changes they want to see, and this contract is a reflection of that.”
“This is not by accident. We are laser focused on this industry and we will continue to make every effort to organize workers so that they can earn the wages and benefits they deserve,” Young added. “I want to congratulate these members and our team here at the local. They have done a terrific job.”
“As a member of the bargaining committee, I was proud to serve and happy to represent the grow facility,” said Charles Phillipi, who works at AYR in Warrendale. “I am very pleased to see the additional locations join us with this new ratification and see our union grow in strength.”
“Having a say in what we get as workers is really important,” said Abdiel Alviarez, who works at AYR in Bryn Mawr. “We have a real voice in the workplace, and it gets everyone excited about getting involved and voting. One of the biggest things for me was additional PTO – before it was great, but it’s been almost doubled….We have the ability to take off when needed and not worry about running out of days.”
UFCW Local 1776KS now represents nearly 1,600 workers at 23 cannabis locations in Pennsylvania.
