Cannabis workers’ unions aren’t going away. Employees at RISE dispensary in Joliet, Illinois are the latest to hop on the cannabis union bandwagon. Workers overwhelmingly voted yes on a vote to join Teamsters Local 777, making it the second RISE dispensary location to vote to join the union in the last three months.
Teamsters Local 777 was founded in 1937 and represents workers across various industries, now including cannabis. Back in November of 2021, two Verilife dispensaries in Chicago joined the union, following the footsteps of other cannabis companies that voted to join the Teamsters.
RISE’s parent company, Green Thumb Industries, made nearly $900 million in revenue last year. “A Teamster contract is essential to ensuring that these workers see their fair share of that revenue,” said Peter Finn, Teamsters Food Processing Division Director.
“We need fairness, equal employment and a positive work environment,” said Allison Fullman, who works at the newly-unionized Colorado Street location. “We want protection against mistreatment and discrimination. We will make the cannabis industry a happy and healthy place once again!”
