US Cannabis Workers Ride Wave of Union Wins After Federal Labor Ruling

Cannabis employees in Missouri are riding a string of labor victories into a broader push to organize the state's marijuana industry, according to reporting by Rebecca Rivas of the Missouri Independent. Workers at High Profile Cannabis in Columbia last week unanimously approved what union representatives call the state's first collective bargaining agreement for cannabis employees, winning higher wages and paid vacation. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Local 655 celebrated the deal in a Wednesday Facebook post. In St. Louis, post-harvest workers at Proper Brands voted 25-21 on July 1 to unionize, while Vibe Cannabis post-harvest employees have a union election set for late July. "I've been hearing from more and more production and dispensary workers all over the state who want to find out what they need to do in order to organize their workplaces," said Sean Shannon, UFCW Local 655's organizing director. "They basically thought it was impossible when all these companies were fighting, and now the workers are winning." Since Missouri legalized recreational marijuana in 2023, cannabis jobs have expanded alongside years of organizing battles and company resistance. Sierra Lutz, who helped launch the 2023 High Profile petition, now works as a trimming tech at Vibe and is leading its campaign, filed June 18. She described enduring 80-degree conditions operating the Mobius trimming machine and said management prioritized product quality over worker comfort. She cited a Juneteenth dispute — employees were told they'd have the holiday off, then required to work while another department was sent to Six Flags — as the tipping point for organizing. Vibe HR manager Katie Parker declined to comment. Lutz said the company brought in consultants to meet individually with staff about the union process. Bird Herndon, a Vibe post-harvest worker of about a year, said cultivation work harms respiratory health and called consistent access to respirators a top priority; the group is also seeking a 401(k) option. At Proper, trainer Katie Hazelwonder said the win reflects workers "having a seat at the table." CEO John Pennington said the company "respects" the vote and looks "forward to working with the UFCW." The momentum follows a May National Labor Relations Board ruling favoring Sinse cultivation workers at BeLeaf Medical, rejecting arguments that post-harvest staff are agricultural workers exempt from federal unionizing protections — a decision reached after nearly three years of legal fighting.