Members of UFCW Local 27 working at The Apothecarium cannabis dispensaries in Cumberland and Nottingham, Md., overwhelmingly ratified their first union contracts last month. Between the two locations, there are 55 workers, including budtenders, inventory specialists, and floor supervisors who are now covered by the expansive agreements. Both contracts include:
- Paid time off, sick and safe leave, and paid parental leave
- Employer contributions to health and welfare benefits
- Retirement benefits with an employer match
- Discounts on TerrAscend products
- Updated scheduling, break, overtime, and training policies
- Improved safety standards and procedures for addressing workplace hazards
- Clearer just cause discipline and a formal grievance and arbitration process
- Protections for union representation and workplace participation
The Apothecarium workers in Cumberland voted unanimously to unionize with UFCW Local 27 in August 2024, and those in Nottingham joined the local earlier this year.
These successful contract ratifications represent an important step forward for cannabis workers seeking a stronger voice and greater stability on the job, said UFCW Local 27 President Jason Chorpenning. “Workers in Cumberland and Nottingham stood together, organized, and won contracts that provide them with meaningful protections and improvements,” he said. “These agreements demonstrate what workers can accomplish when they have a union and are willing to stand together. We are proud of their determination and commitment.”
TerrAscend is the parent company of The Apothecarium, and all four of the Maryland cannabis dispensaries it owns are now unionized with the UFCW. That includes a unit of 25 in Salisbury, where workers voted overwhelmingly to join UFCW Local 27 in October 2024.
Despite the certification of that vote, the company has waged a disinformation campaign regarding the bargaining process and what a union contract can provide.
“The first contracts negotiated for Cumberland and Nottingham prove what workers can win when they stand together,” said Chorpenning. “We are going to keep fighting for Salisbury workers, just as we fight for workers across our local, and we will insist that TerrAscend respect their vote and deliver the protections and improvements they deserve.”
The fourth The Apothecarium, in Burtonsville, is represented by UFCW Local 400.