More cannabis workers fighting to unionize in Illinois

Four Illinois pharmacies have agreed to join forces, and workers at one in Sauget will soon decide whether to join the ranks

SAUGET, Ill. – Cannabis workers in the St. Louis Metro East area say it is time to join forces. They fight for better working conditions, more employment opportunities and a commitment to improve local communities.

Ian Spaeth is a cannabis worker at Beyond Hello Pharmacy in Sauget, Illinois. The pharmacy is owned by Jushi Holdings and operates 17 stores nationwide, including four in Illinois. Spaeth has been in the cannabis industry for about a decade and is also one of the noisier workers willing to unionize.

“I love my job,” said Spaeth. “Personally, I really like Jushi. I love watching them grow and I hope they decide to let us grow with them.”

Moises Zavala is the organization director for Local 881, the United Food and Commercial Workers union. It represents a wide range of workers, from food service to retail, and it is the only company that ingests cannabis. He said cannabis workers love the job, the service and the product.

“You like the company, too, believe it or not,” said Zavala. “But they want to make sure the standards improve.”

More and more cannabis workers in Illinois are banding together to form union organizations. So far, at least four dispensaries have moved to join forces with Ascend Dispensary in Springfield, which took place just a few days ago on April 20th.

Proponents believe that union formation will help workers fight for better wages, benefits, increased protection from Covid-19 and a voice in their workplaces. Zavala said he got calls from cannabis workers across the state asking about the organization.

Spaeth believes that union education will become the standard as more large companies own pharmacies.

“There really is no stability wherever you look in the industry,” said Spaeth. “And there really is no justice, be it for the workers or for the people and communities that have been disenfranchised by the law up to this point.”

Spaeth said how Illinois is set up, no mom and pop weed store can start a business. He said many of the people who campaigned for recreational marijuana legalization lack the ability to do business in the state.

“There are a lot of small factors like this that pile up,” said Spaeth. “And they take a toll on our patients and staff.”

Spaeth said Beyond Hello still has many medical marijuana patients and needs to legally comply with privacy laws. He said this is another reason to unionize – workers are being tasked less with retail sales and more with helping people.

UFCW Local 881 boasts of serving more than 34,000 workers across the state, and has helped people negotiate salaries and get better-paying vacations.

With growing numbers of governments decriminalizing marijuana and more and more people legitimizing its use, cannabis workers said it was time to legitimize their needs in the workplace too.

“Union formation will be of tremendous importance in legitimizing the industry as it is real work,” said Spaeth.

This is the second time Beyond Hello employees have tried to join forces in union organizations. They tried last June but said they had encountered swift anti-union action and promises to address their concerns.

Jushi Holdings made no comment.