New Jersey’s Inclusion of Bona Fide Labor Organizations in Cannabis Legislation Continues to Pay Dividends for Workers

By: United Food and Commercial Workers via Business Wire

September 21, 2023 at 12:36 PM EDT

UFCW Local 360, the AFL-CIO’s Official Cannabis Labor Representative, adds two more locations to the growing number of cannabis companies voting to unionize

United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 360 announces that, in its continuing push to unionize workers in New Jersey’s cannabis industry, the workers at Curaleaf’s Winslow, NJ cultivation site and the employees at MPX NJ’s dispensary in Sicklerville have voted to unionize. The Curaleaf cultivation site joins the company’s dispensaries in Bordentown, Edgewater and Bellmawr in choosing to organize with UFCW Local 360. MPX NJ’s dispensary is the first of two to hold a vote. The company is also planning a third location, in Pennsauken Township.

“When you deal with companies like MPX NJ, it makes the process easier for everyone,” said Hugh Giordano, UFCW Local 360 director of organizing. “Good employers recognize it’s about more than following the regulations. It’s about dealing fairly with employees, making smart business decisions, and driving sustainable success.”

Giordano also paid tribute to New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission, which is tasked with making sure the rules around organizing carry the same weight as other operating requirements.

“Unfortunately, not every company agrees that worker rights need to be adhered to,” he said. “Thankfully, the people at the Cannabis Regulatory Commission stand ready and willing to ensure license holders comply with all the rules so that this new industry can continue to grow and flourish for the long-term.”

“The Governor and the State Assembly deserve great credit for the way they set this industry up,” said Sam Ferraino, Jr., UFCW Local 360’s president. “By including a requirement to enter into Labor Peace agreements with bona fide labor organizations, they made it possible for employees to find out what their rights are, to hear about the options available to them, and then to vote on whether or not to unionize. And in the almost every instance, the obvious benefits of joining a union have won the vote.”

From seed to sale, UFCW is a national leader in organizing cannabis industry employees. The official AFL-CIO’s designated cannabis labor union, UFCW works with employees and business owners to create a successful, regulated cannabis industry that delivers family-sustaining jobs and is focused on social equity.

About United Food and Commercial Workers: The UFCW International Union represents over 1.3 million hardworking families across the U.S. and Canada. These members work in essential industries such as Retail, Warehousing, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Transportation, the Public Sector and Cannabis.