On June 14, 2023, over 100 Cannabis workers who are employed at ten The Joint locations in Manitoba voted overwhelmingly to accept their first collective agreement.
The Union was successful in obtaining a province-wide certificate in June 2022 when workers reached out to UFCW Local 832 about joining the union.
“I’m proud of our new members who stood up for their rights to join UFCW and worked together on not only organizing their workplace but also working with us to obtain the first collective agreement for Cannabis retail workers in the province of Manitoba”, stated UFCW Local 832 President, Jeff Traeger.
The new 30-month collective agreement addresses numerous concerns that were raised during the organizing drive. Safety concerns, rates of pay, and unjust disciplines all factored into why these workers joined UFCW.
“This is a fairly new industry. Since these workers have joined us, we have heard from numerous other Cannabis retail workers about joining our union. Many of them have been waiting to see what a collective agreement would provide them. We will continue to work on advocating for all Cannabis workers in Manitoba to ensure this industry has the proper protections these workers deserve.”
UFCW Local 832 represents over 19,000 Manitoban workers in food production, food distribution, warehousing, hospitality, security, personal care, assisted living, grocery retail and cannabis retail.