Unions organizing Illinois cannabis shops

 Legal marijuana is very popular and very profitable.

 Sales have skyrocketed even during – maybe especially during – the pandemic: almost $2 billion since recreational pot became legal in Illinois in January 2020, $10 million the first month pot was legal.

Last year, hundreds of millions of dollars was raised from sales, excise and local taxes, according to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office – some $100 million more than liquor. That revenue is funding social programs such as mental-health and drug-treatment services ($134 million), the state’s general-revenue and budget-stabilization efforts (also about $134 million), and administrative, public-education and local government aid (together about $60 million).

The industry has been predicted to generate 330,000 jobs nationally by the end of this year, and 63,000 new jobs in Illinois by 2025.

All that has meant cannabis workers’ increasing realization they need to unionize, and organized labor is responding.

“The solution to rebalancing our economy — making it work for all members of our communities, not just the wealthy few — is good jobs and a union for all working people,” commented Tom Balanoff, president of the Service Employees International Union Illinois State Council.

“No matter where we come from or the color of our skin, working people all want the same things: higher pay, thriving communities, and a fair shot at a good future,” he continued. “Don’t just take my word for it. Illinois cannabis workers themselves are speaking out for the good union jobs they and their families need to thrive.”

Workers at cannabis dispensaries are genuinely interested in organizing, not just following other, high-profile situations, from "Strike-tober" to ongoing activities at Amazon, Starbucks.

“Cannabis dispensaries are a real opportunity for labor, and have been for some time,” said Marc Parker, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 536 based in Marquette Heights. “I am also hopeful that Amazon, Starbucks and similar industries are not just a trendy situation. People working in these types of environments [have] real concerns in regards to safety, wages, benefits and the overall concern that their voice in the workplace will matter.”

Since UFCW unionized the first two cannabis dispensaries in Illinois – Cresco in Joliet and Sunnyside in Lake View – organizing has accelerated. UFCW nationwide has been hearing from cannabis workers seeking representation, and Central Illinois is no exception.

“UFCW Local 536 initially received multiple inquires from cannabis workers seeking representation,” Parker says. “Ultimately, our International awarded the jurisdiction of cannabis workers to UFCW 881 out of Chicagoland.”

Based in Des Plaines, Local 881 is UFCW’s Illinois and Northwest Indiana Local, representoing about 34,000 retail and food workers.

“Most cannabis workers are now reaching out to Local 881 directly,” Parker says, and “Local 536 will continue to refer cannabis workers to Local 881: (847) 294-5064.”

In greater Central Illinois, cannabis dispensaries are operating in Bloomington, Canton, East Peoria, Galesburg, Normal, Pekin, Peoria and Quincy.

In Illinois, there has been employer resistance. Several dispensary companies selling pot in several states have hired “union avoidance” consultants to fight their own workers.

Nevertheless, rank-and-file comments show some determination.

“They’re rolling in the money, and they’re not giving us any scraps,” said Patrick Vinson, a Curaleaf worker  in Mokena, speaking to the Chicago Sun-Times.

UFCW, which represents about 1.3 million workers in supermarkets, drugstores and nursing homes in the United States and Canada, has substantial resources and a mission statement of sorts about cannabis:

“We represent tens of thousands of cannabis workers across the U.S. in dispensaries, labs, delivery, kitchens, manufacturing, processing, grow facilities and more — helping workers secure better wages, protection from unfair discipline, and great benefits with a union contract.

 

“We have been instrumental in working to advocate for the good jobs provided by the medical and adult-use cannabis industry,” the international union added. “Wherever cannabis is legalized, the UFCW is committed to building a successful industry with a thriving, diverse and skilled workforce.”

Kim Cordova, president of UFCW Local 7 in Colorado, said, “When workers recognize their true value and their own solidarity, they win. We are honored to have the privilege to represent [those] workers.”

In Illinois, Teamsters Local 777 also is busy organizing cannabis workers, but mutual interest seems more prominent than a rivalry with UFCW. Plus, labor has plenty to do.

“As far as members, or potential members, of Local 536 in the industries that we represent, we were left with little choice when it came to the COVID pandemic,” says Parker. “We needed to report to work to allow the community to get the groceries they needed to feed their families, and to help take care of the elderly. Our members had a seat at the table to discuss and implement safety precautions. Those who were not part of the union, in our industries, did not have a voice to express their concerns in a meaningful way, and I am a firm believer that they should have a seat at the table.”

 

Some of Illinois’ cannabis retailers where workers are organizing

Enlightened in Schaumburg (Teamsters)

Cresco in Joliet (UFCW)

Curaleaf in Skokie (UFCW)

Greenleaf in Rock Island (UFCW)

Medmen in Oak Park (UFCW)

PharmaCann in Schaumburg (Teamsters)

Sunnyside in Lake View (UFCW)

Verilife in Ottawa (Teamsters)

Verilife in Romeoville (Teamsters)

Zenleaf in Highland Park (Teamsters)

Zenleaf in Lombard (Teamsters)