Fall River Cannabis Workers Unionize

Cannabis cultivation workers at a Cresco Labs facility in Fall River are now unionized members of the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 328.

Workers who cultivate cannabis products for the company that runs Sunnyside Dispensary voted to form a union and were officially certified by the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations, Marijuana Business Daily reports.

In Fall River, Cresco operates a cultivation and processing facility and Sunnyside Dispensary -- formerly known as Hope Heal Health -- in a renovated mill space at 1 West Street. Cresco Labs closed on its acquisition of Hope Heal Health in February, BusinessWire reports.

"We applaud cannabis workers for forming unions to make sure that, as this industry grow, workers are able to share in the success," said Timothy Melia, president of the UFCW Local 328. "The cannabis industry should be a place where workers earn a living wage, have access to affordable health care and protection from unfair disciline and discrimination."

Cresco Labs, based in Chicago, describes itself as "one of the largest vertically-integrated multi-state cannabis operators in the United States." The company says it may now distribute its full line of products to more than 40 adult-use dispensaries in Massachusetts.

The union says more than 10,000 cannabis workers nationwide have joined the UFCW, including those at laboratories, processing and manufacturing facilities, cultivation facilities, and dispensaries.

The marijuana industry in Massachusetts is doing well -- it has surpassed $1 billion in sales since the adult-use market was launched two years ago.