Posts Categorized: Cannabis

After months of negotiations, members of UFCW Local 400 who work at the Story cannabis dispensary in Mechanicsville, Md., ratified their first union contract on June 9. These workers joined UFCW Local 400 in October of 2023, and stood their ground for a union voice in the workplace by rejecting an alternate contract offer that included ousting the union by their employer.

The three-year contract, which was ratified by an overwhelming margin of the workers, has several highlights, including:

•           Guaranteed raises every year

•           Guaranteed minimum hours per shift

•           Seniority privileges

•           401(k) retirement plan

•           Just cause protection from unfair discipline

“I’m just grateful to my co-workers for demonstrating our ability to stand together and determine what we want for our store,” said Dylan Zumwalt, who has worked at the Story cannabis dispensary for six months. “I hope we continue to advocate for ourselves and each other.”

UFCW Local 400 also represents Story cannabis dispensary workers in Hyattsville, who joined our union in December of 2024.

On June 4, members of UFCW Local 400 who work at the Sweetspot cannabis dispensary in Olney, Md., ratified their first union contract. These workers joined UFCW Local 400 in September of last year around the same time another Sweetspot dispensary in Exeter, R.I., joined UFCW Local 328.

Key provisions of the three-year contract include:

•           $2.00/hour increase in starting pay

•           Guaranteed raises every six months

•           Time and a half on Sundays

•           Three extra holidays per year

•           Vision, dental, and health insurance

•           Guaranteed employee discounts

•           Seniority privileges

•           Just cause protection from unfair discipline

“We formed a union to make Sweetspot a better place to work and this contract does just that,” said Kai D., who has worked at Sweetspot in Olney for a year and a half. “We won a boost in pay, guaranteed raises every six months, extra holidays and so much more. We are proof positive that a union can make a big difference in our industry.”