Monthly Archives: January 2025

Workers at the Story cannabis dispensary in Hyattsville, Md., voted to unionize with UFCW Local 400 on Dec. 11.

The 19 workers filed for a union election through the National Labor Relations Board in November after a majority of eligible employees signed authorization cards in support of unionizing.

“Joining together in a union is the best way for us to ensure Story provides fair wages we can live on and benefits we can depend on,” said Oluwademilade “Demi” Adewunmi, who has worked at the Hyattsville dispensary for nine months. “We are proud to join Story workers across the country who are unionizing and we look forward to coming together to negotiate a strong union contract that respects and rewards our hard work.”

UFCW Local 400 also represents workers at other cannabis dispensaries in Maryland, including the Story cannabis dispensary in Mechanicsville; The Apothecarium and Sweetspot cannabis dispensaries in Burtonsville and Olney; and Green Goods and Potomac Holistics in Rockville.

About 400 members of UFCW Local 1518 who are employed as agricultural workers at Highline Mushrooms in Abbotsford, B.C., ratified their first union contract on December 17 and 18. These workers joined UFCW Local 1518 last June, becoming the largest group of farmworkers to unionize in Canada. 

The new contract, which was ratified by 98 percent of the members, will bring life-changing improvements to hundreds of temporary foreign workers.

The new contract includes:

• Total wage raises of 4.55 percent by June 2025, plus a 50¢ hourly bonus for late working for many employees.
  
• A $500 signing bonus for all employees.
  
• Support for temporary foreign workers to apply for permanent residency in Canada, including a $2,000 payment towards application and legal costs.
  
• Job security and recall rights, which will ensure temporary foreign workers are called back for future contracts based on seniority.
  
• A joint management-worker committee to oversee worker housing and address housing conditions.
  
• Suitable clothing for outdoor work, paid for by the employer.

“These temporary foreign workers secured a historic first contract that includes life-changing provisions and raises the bar for the agricultural industry in British Columbia,” said UFCW Local 1518 President Patrick Johnson.

“What’s truly remarkable is that these members come from all corners of the world, speaking multiple languages, and have been united by their shared determination to win the respect and treatment they deserve,” Johnson added. “Non-union migrant agricultural workers often endure long hours, difficult conditions, and low wages. This monumental win highlights why joining a union is the best way workers can secure better living standards, gain dignity at work, and hold their industries accountable to the highest standards.”