In the midst of the ongoing writers’ strike, and myriad conversations surrounding unions and workers rights, the cannabis industry is not immune.
Namely, industry workers at Connecticut’s largest cannabis cultivation facility voted to form a union, becoming only the second union of its kind to organize at a state cannabis cultivation facility, NewsTimes reports.
According to union officials, more than 70 workers at CTPharma’s Rocky Hill cannabis cultivation facility voted to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 919. The vote was ratified later that month.
The facility is the state’s largest cannabis growing operation, comprising 216,000 square feet with cannabis plants spanning all stages of development. The facility, owned by Illinois-based Verano, also processes baked goods, gummies, vape cartridges and more. The parent company did not reply to NewsTimes’ request for comment.
UFCW Director of Organizing Emily Sabo said in a statement that the workers joined the union to ensure they have “a voice that matters at work” and that the cannabis industry also promotes equity for its workers.
“So whatever that looks like, with how automation changes will end up affecting the cannabis industry inevitably, just like every other industry, they want to have those workplace protections and those conversations and the ability to talk about those things with their employer,” Sabo said.
Among worker concerns are higher wages, better benefits and securing workplace protections, as noted in a release from the union earlier in the week. The union includes workers in all areas of the facility, according to Sabo, including cultivation and “all the way up through processing manufacturing the dummies, the kitchen.”
Sabo said that many of the workers started in their positions when their facility only produced products for the medical market, and now that it’s converted to adult-use, they’re getting to witness some of the broader changes.
“These are more senior workers who have been through the industry for a while,” Sabo said.
In Connecticut, the law includes a provision requiring a “labor peace agreement” as a condition of full licensure for cannabis businesses. Every establishment in Connecticut must have a labor peace agreement, but Sao said that even so, it doesn’t guarantee that a union will form; it’s simply more likely to occur.
“A labor peace agreement means that an operator will remain neutral and fair if workers want to form a union,” she said. “In return, the union agrees and the workers are agreeing not to picket, no work stoppages, strikes, etc., in exchange for the neutrality.”
UCFW said that the move marks the “third cannabis win” for UFCW Local 919 in Connecticut this year, citing that workers at Advanced Grow labs in West Haven became the first cannabis unit in the state to unionize by joining in March, alongside workers at the Caring Nature Dispensary in Waterbury, who unionized in June.
“We look forward to working with the bargaining committee at CTPharma to secure a great first-time contract that will give these workers the respect and job protections they deserve,” said UFCW Local 919 President Mark A. Espinosa.
Connecticut legalized recreational cannabis on July 1, 2021, with sales launching on Jan. 10, 2023. Perhaps elevating the stark contrast between the medical and recreational markets in the state—and the impact on workers—the state has seen major sales numbers just months into the market launch.
In June, the state’s cannabis sales hit a new record monthly high, seeing nearly $24 million in combined medical and recreational sales, according to the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP).
While sales dipped slightly in July, to $23.8 million in total, recreational cannabis sales increased. The adult-use market recorded $12.5 million in sales in June, and that number jumped to $13 million in July.
