Posts Categorized: Organizing

On April 4, workers at Root 66 in St. Louis, Mo., made history by becoming the first medical cannabis dispensary in the state to unionize by joining UFCW Local 655. 

The eight workers, who are employed as budtenders, joined our union family because they were concerned about the lack of a consistent company policy and proper explanations of workplace policy changes, which left workers feeling unsure how to properly follow policy and get their jobs done. They were also concerned about economic issues and wanted better wages and benefits, including paid time off for sick leave or vacation.

“If there are changes made to policy, we deserve to understand why,” said Prince Israel, a budtender at Root 66. “And right now, it feels like they can just change things whenever they want and that makes it difficult on us. Benefits are also very important to us. We really like what we do, and we want these jobs to be good jobs for all of us.” 

“Cannabis workers across the country are voting to join a union because they know it’s the best way to secure good wages and benefits on the job,” said UFCW Local 655 President Dave Cook. “Workers need economic security and fair treatment in the workplace, and cannabis workers are no different. We are committed to helping cannabis workers across Missouri.”

The International’s Organizing Department is holding organizing training sessions for members this spring to help grow our union family and strengthen worker power.

The training sessions will take place on April 26 to 28 in Philadelphia; May 10 to 12 in Chicago; and May 17 to 19 in Los Angeles. Each two-day session is open to up to 30 rank and file members from all UFCW industries who are interested in refining their organizing skills and assisting in organizing campaigns in their regions.

Each training session will focus on the fundamentals of organizing, including updates on labor law around organizing, and skills and tactics used during organizing campaigns. The training sessions will also provide members with an overview of research, communications, and online tools that are available to organizers, including how to use research on employers for organizing campaigns, how to create strong organizing literature, and how to use the Hustle app and other digital tools to mobilize workers. In addition, the training sessions will focus on building better and stronger relationships with potential members using reflective engagement, an innovative approach to organizing and servicing that builds on decades of research on human engagement.

“These training sessions are designed to strengthen member engagement in the field of organizing with the end goal of welcoming more workers to our union family,” said International Vice President and Acting Director of Organizing Dave Young. “I encourage all locals to get involved in this effort to expand the role of our members and grow our union.”

Letters have already been sent to locals regarding these training sessions and locals are encouraged to spread the word about these training opportunities to their members. Any questions regarding these training sessions should be directed to Eduardo Pena at epena@ufcw.org.