Monthly Archives: July 2015

Stoney Bros employees Hannah Poole and Kyle Maestra.

Workers at Stoney Brothers, a marijuana dispensary in Portland, Ore., have approved the first-ever union contract for cannabis workers in Oregon and have joined UFCW Local 555. The vote to approve the contract was unanimous and sets a new standard for cannabis workers in Oregon.

“With our new contract, I am excited to have paid holidays and vacation time,” said Kyle Maestra, a site manager at Stoney Brothers. “That is unusual in the cannabis industry.”

The three-year contract includes salaries starting at $15/hour with some making as high as $34/hour, regular raises, affordable health insurance through a multi-employer fund, pension contributions, paid vacations and sick leave, as well as seniority and grievance protections.

“All workers deserve the benefits of a union contract,” said Dan Clay, President of UFCW Local 555, “and workers in the cannabis industry are no different. Starting with the workers at Stoney Brothers, we can build a home-grown Oregon cannabis industry that respects workers and provides good, family-supporting jobs.”

Workers at Stoney Brothers have expressed excitement about their industry-leading compensation package.

“Health insurance is important to me,” said Hannah Poole, a patient consultant at Stoney Brothers. “My union health insurance plan is comprehensive and gives me real peace of mind.”

Stoney Brothers and UFCW Local 555 look forward to growing together as the company plans to open several new retail and growing facilities in the near future.

UFCW International President Perrone with Sen. Warren and UFCW Local 400 member Paul Rickey for the Schedules That Work Act reintroduction.

On July 15, UFCW International President Marc Perrone attended and spoke at the reintroduction of the Schedules That Work Act. The bill was introduced by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Rosa DeLauro.

In his remarks, Perrone described how unfair work schedules put people at a disadvantage.

“Every day, in the interest of maximizing their bottom lines, companies use erratic and last minute scheduling to force people to work harder and longer and be unaware of their shift until the last moment,” Perrone said. “The impact of this is significant. American workers often have no choice but to be a prisoner to their job and this makes it impossible for men and women to adequately plan their lives and prepare for their futures. The Schedules That Work Act takes a meaningful step towards ensuring better work schedules and with it, better lives for workers and their families.”

For proof that providing workers with stable schedules makes a difference, Perrone was joined at the event by UFCW Local 400 member Paul Rickey.

“Thanks to a strong collective bargaining contract throughout the years, Paul has been able to both advance his career and be there for his family when they needed him most,” Perrone remarked. “The Schedules That Work Act will bring that same benefit to all hard-working men and women across America, and I believe it should be a priority for this Congress and our President.”