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Over 180 workers at two Giant Eagle stores in Pittsburgh recently joined UFCW Local 1776 for a voice in the workplace. 

These workers are employed as cashiers, grocery clerks, meat cutters, bakers and cake decorators, and in the prepared foods and deli sections. This new unit is made up of a cross section of generations, including Gen X, Millennials and Gen Z, who pushed forward in their efforts to become a part of UFCW Local 1776 despite challenges with management.

The campaign, which began in February 2025, was led by UFCW Local 1776 Western Division Director Ed Auer and a dedicated team of staff, including Stacia Young, Rick Ruth, Tom Malick, Rich Lenhart, Dan Honecker, Amanda Zawistowski, Jon Lapinsky, Kevin Nau, Vince Merringer, and Jack Tysinger. Their strategy emphasized direct engagement—holding one-on-one conversations with every worker to educate them on the importance of union representation. Organizers also made frequent store visits to introduce themselves, ensuring workers had access to accurate information. To further strengthen the campaign, educational handouts were distributed, which highlighted key reasons to unionize and included testimonials from other workers who had successfully organized their workplaces.

“Having the union organize our Giant Eagle store was a great experience! Stacia and her team were extremely helpful and knowledgeable,” said Melissa Waddell, a Giant Eagle employee. “As a group of employees, I feel as though it brought us to a different level of understanding one another and each other’s values. I am thrilled to be able to work with UFCW 1776 on things within our store! I can already tell the lengths our union will go to achieve the common goal!”

“During my time with the local, I found my passion in organizing and servicing our membership,” said UFCW Local 1776 Representative Stacia Young. “This campaign had minor challenges with management and how we were able to communicate with workers, but we overcame them. I owe all of the success of this campaign to my predecessors who’ve taught me how to dig deep and advocate for workers who need us. This is just the beginning.”

“We are proud to welcome these Giant Eagle workers into our union family,” said UFCW Local 1776 President Wendell Young IV. “Their decision to join Local 1776 is a powerful reminder that when workers stand together, they can create real change in their workplace. I commend their courage and determination. I also want to recognize the work of our staff, who built trust with this unit, helped workers cut through the noise, and showed the true value of union membership.”

On May 7, members of UFCW Local 99 who work at Trulieve Cannabis Corp.’s central production facility on East Magnolia Street in Phoenix ratified their first union contract. This ratification marks the first time agricultural cannabis workers have been covered by a union contract in state history. The contract, which was ratified by an overwhelming margin of the workers, follows more than a year of negotiations between Trulieve and UFCW Local 99.

The three-year contract, which covers employees who work in cannabis cultivation, post-harvest and compliance, includes:

•           Guaranteed wage increases.

•           Paid holidays, vacation and sick leave.

•           Personal, bereavement and parental leave.

•           Insurance coverage for medical, dental, vision and life.

•           Guaranteed monthly samples.

•           Just-cause and due process for discipline/discharge (employees are no longer “at-will”).

On January 25, 2024, workers at the notoriously odiferous cannabis production plant voted in an historic Arizona Agricultural Labor Relations Board (AERB) election to join UFCW Local 99. At the time, workers there were the first agricultural workers in nearly a quarter century to form a union through the AERB. To date, the last and only time workers have petitioned for union recognition through the state board was in the year 2000 when employees at the now-defunct Eurofresh tomato hothouse in Willcox voted to join UFCW Local 99.

“No matter where you work, we know that the best way to improve your working life is through a strong, union contract,” said UFCW Local 99 President Jim McLaughlin. “With the ratification of their first contract, employees at Magnolia are helping raise the standard of living for all Arizona cannabis workers, and I could not be prouder to welcome them as the newest members of UFCW Local 99.”

“I feel really proud of everyone at Magnolia for pushing through and having faith in what we were doing to get better pay and benefits for not just us, but everyone in the cannabis industry,” said Allyson Grubbe, a cultivation technician who also served on the union bargaining committee. “I really feel like we’re setting a precedent and laying the groundwork for everyone else in the industry to get on board and unionize for the benefits and rights that we all deserve.”