Our Cannabis Workers Are Growing Strong.
The UFCW has spent over a decade advocating for cannabis workers and fighting to establish critical labor protections to ensure that, as the industry grows, cannabis industry jobs are safe, equitable, and family-sustaining. But helping cannabis workers organize a union at their workplaces and negotiate fair contracts is just one piece of the puzzle. The UFCW partners with cannabis workers, patients, consumers, community allies, elected officials, and business owners to achieve the shared goals of creating an industry with family-sustaining jobs and a focus on social equity.
– Trulieve Magnolia Worker, UFCW Local 99“Sometimes I feel like people can feel trapped in this industry. With a union, we can be protected from exploitation and we can finally get the treatment that we deserve.”
Strong Contracts and Strong Legislation.
As America’s cannabis union, the UFCW has been involved in advocacy efforts affecting cannabis legislation on both the federal and state levels. The UFCW has also been a vocal supporter of the SAFER Banking Act (or SAFE Banking Act). This legislation would give thousands of cannabis industry workers access to federal banking services and a secure financial future.
The UFCW supports recent Department of Justice recommendations to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to a Schedule III substance. This shift will no doubt aid in the growth of the cannabis industry, but it does not alleviate the strain on seed-to-sale workers or resolve the harm inflicted on our communities by the “War on Drugs.” We at the UFCW remain committed to advocating for the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act that will deschedule cannabis and suspend operating licenses of businesses who violate federal labor laws.
