Posts Categorized: On Point

Shelter services workers at the Transition House Coalition of Northumberland in the town of Cobourg in Ontario, Canada, recently joined UFCW Local 1006A.

The Transition House is integral to the community, serving as the only emergency shelter in Northumberland County. The organization provides safe and supportive temporary housing, life skills and transition support to people from Cobourg, Port Hope, Grafton, Colborne, Campbellford, Brighton, Hamilton Township, and Alderville.

Key issues that led to 19 workers to join our union included health and safety, job security, and wages and benefits.

“Our new members showed determination and solidarity in coming together to achieve union representation,” said UFCW Local 1006A Organizing Director Lesley Prince.

“On behalf of UFCW 1006A, I’m proud to congratulate and welcome our newest members from the Transition House Coalition of Northumberland,” said UFCW Local 1006A President Wayne Hanley. “UFCW 1006A is dedicated to improving our members’ rights and livelihoods and ensuring they have a voice in their workplace. Together, we are empowering members to create fairer workplaces.”

On March 25, members of UFCW Local 400 who work at the Green Goods cannabis dispensary in Rockville, Md., voted to ratify their first union contract. The workers, who voted unanimously to approve the collective bargaining agreement, joined UFCW Local 400 last year.

The contract includes the following provisions:

•           Guaranteed wage increases over the life of the agreement

•           Retirement investment option

•           Minimum hours of work for full-timers and minimum hours per shift for part-timers

•           Secured daily cash tip distribution

•           Paid breaks

•           Paid holidays and paid time off

•           Paid bereavement leave

•           A grievance procedure to resolve disputes with management

•           Health and safety commitments from the employer

The Green Goods workers are part of a growing wave of cannabis dispensaries in Maryland that have recently unionized with UFCW Local 400, including the Apothecarium in Burtonsville; Sweetspot in Olney; Story Cannabis locations in Hyattsville and Mechanicsville; Potomac Holistics in Rockville; and Zen Leaf in Germantown.