Windy City Cannabis Wins Union Contract!
Posen and Homewood Dispensary Workers Vote UNION YES With Their First Union Contract
“Congratulations Team! It has been a long journey to get to this point. Thank you all for your patience, support and for being a team worth fighting for. I am excited and hopeful for the future of all of my fellow bud-tenders looking to establish a career in this budding industry! Aim high, stay high.”
~ Tiny (Destiny) Dispensary Associate, Windy City Posen
Aiming High
Congratulations to Windy City workers on winning their first union contract. They have set the precedence for their fellow workers to have protected rights and fair working conditions. On September 19th, workers from two Windy City locations voted overwhelmingly to ratify their respective contracts.
Windy City Posen and Homewood Dispensary workers said, “Union YES!”, and they have ratified their very first contract and earned many benefits along with it, such as annual wage increases, the ability to file grievances, and more!
Windy City Workers Chose Local 881
Windy City workers reached out to Local 881 because of the horrible situations they were experiencing at work and how unsafe they felt. They heard about Local 881’s success on behalf of other Cannabis workers and decided to reach out for help.
They shared stories about rocks being thrown through store windows while working their shifts, how management was reluctant to do anything about serious concerns, and how basic protections and safety for the workers were barely acknowledged or enforced.
“The ability to have checks and balances, grievances, and a voice is so important in this industry, especially when owners are abusing their rights,” explains Cyndi Kazmirzak, a former bud-tender at Windy City Posen and current Organizer at Local 881. “With the ratification of the first contract for Windy City, teams that are actively trying to unionize are sincerely making waves in the industry by voting yes to amplifying their voice with the representation of a Union.”
Your Voice Is Important
Having a contract means knowing exactly what is expected of you at work, and what you can expect from your employer in return. Respect on the job is not something employers are legally required to provide to workers, but a Union contract demands it!
It is time to stand up against the unfair working conditions that the Cannabis industry is allowing their workers to suffer under. Unionizing provides you with a voice, rights, and safety. Workers in the Cannabis industry deserve a better future. To foster careers for its workers and for growth under fair circumstances. For over a decade, Local 881 has been fighting to ensure that the cannabis industry lives up to the promises it made to our communities.
“By using your voice you’re creating stable careers for other budtenders to come.” Explains Teresa Ramirez-Gonzalez, the Organizing Director at Local 881. “By standing together and by using your voice, you now have a contract that provides you with gains, it only gets better from here. You are no longer at-will employees. Your job security is no longer at the whim of your employer.”
What The Windy City Workers Won:
- Guaranteed yearly wage increases
- All employees are eligible to accrue PTO
- Improves holiday provisions
- Defines working hours and scheduling procedure
- A strong grievance procedure to dispute discipline and safety issues
- And much more!
Cannabis workers are joining with Local 881 to make meaningful change to the cannabis industry in Illinois. Local 881 has successfully negotiated for wage increases, paid leave, employee discounts, a robust grievance procedure, and stronger contractual protections for cannabis workers. Local 881 ratified Cannabis contracts include: Ascend, Cresco, MedMen, and Sunnyside.
Interested in unionizing? Contact Teresa Ramirez-Gonzalez.
