Union Organizes Its First Dispensary in the City of Champions

(BROCKTON, Mass.) – Budtenders at Botera Cannabis in Brockton have voted unanimously to join Teamsters Local 653. The staff joins a growing movement of cannabis workers in New England who are unionizing.

“Congratulations to these hardworking men and women, who are the backbone of success in Massachusetts’ legal cannabis industry,” said Mike Clark, Local 653 Secretary-Treasurer. “These budtenders are now members of the strongest union in North America, and we look forward to bargaining an agreement that reflects this strength.”

Recreational cannabis is now legal in all New England states except New Hampshire – which currently has a legalization bill making its way through the state legislature – giving workers in the newly white-market industry the opportunity to organize for better wages, benefits and working conditions.

“This isn’t just about one dispensary – this is about seizing the opportunity to make this industry one that is full of jobs with long-term, prosperous, sustainable careers,” said Peter Finn, Teamsters Western Region International Vice President and Food Processing Division Director. “So long as the Teamsters are around, cannabis workers will have an opportunity to empower one another, gain respect and secure a better future for themselves and their families.”

Teamsters Local 653 represents workers in a wide variety of industries throughout the South Shore. For more information, go to facebook.com/IBTLocal653/.

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