[PRESS RELEASE] – LOS ANGELES, Feb. 21, 2025 – In an industry marked by volatility, nearly 500 Eaze cannabis workers represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union locals 5, 135, 324, and 770 have overwhelmingly ratified a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with Eaze Inc. This agreement ensures continued stability, fair wages, and critical worker protections at a time when the cannabis sector faces ongoing financial and regulatory challenges.
The new agreement guarantees fair wages and scheduled raises retroactive to Jan. 1, 2025, employer contributions to health and welfare benefits, and an indexed mileage reimbursement rate for drivers and successorship language to protect workers in the future. By securing these protections, UFCW continues to provide cannabis workers with the stability they deserve, reinforcing the importance of union representation in an unpredictable industry.
The agreement follows a turbulent period for Eaze workers. Less than five months ago, Stachs LLC—a subsidiary of Eaze Technologies Inc.—announced it would wind down operations by the end of 2024, threatening mass layoffs across California. However, UFCW remained steadfast in its commitment to securing job security and fair working conditions for its members.
With new investment and restructuring, Eaze Inc. acquired key assets and reopened 70 locations across multiple states, including 57 retail stores, 11 delivery hubs, and two production facilities. As part of this transition, UFCW successfully negotiated to protect workers’ rights, ensuring that a supermajority of the workforce was rehired and that prior service with Stachs was credited under the new contract.
“With this contract ratification victory, Eaze cannabis delivery drivers can put the uncertainty of the past few months behind us and continue to build on the union solidarity and pride we’ve been cultivating with UFCW for the last two years,” said Ron Swallow, an Eaze delivery driver out of Van Nuys, Calif. “We’re proud of the collective work we’ve done to get to this point and will continue fighting for fair treatment for all cannabis workers.”
UFCW remains committed to advocating for cannabis industry workers, ensuring that even in an unstable market, they receive the respect, protection, and fair compensation they deserve.
