Curaleaf Dispensary Workers Strike in Arizona; State Lawmakers Support Them

Curaleaf dispensary workers in Phoenix grabbed their signs and formed a picket line Sept. 15, as they were joined by elected leaders during a strike outside the multistate cannabis company’s retail facility in the Midtown neighborhood.

The labor action comes more than a year after the workers voted, 13-6, to unionize with representation from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Union Local 99 following an election petition filed April 20, 2022, with the National Labor Relations Board.

Friday’s unfair labor practice strike came after Curaleaf terminated the employment of Christian Tallabas, according to dispensary employees, The Arizona Republic reported. Tallabas, who spoke at the strike, helped lead union activity and advocated for pay transparency during the strike, the newspaper reported.

“We deserve to know what percentage of our tips we make when our customer service is making this company millions of dollars,” Tallabas said.

Curaleaf, which operates in 19 states with more than 150 dispensaries and roughly 5,500 workers nationwide, reported second quarter 2023 revenue of $339 million, representing a 4% year-over-year increase. The company attributed this year-over-year increase primarily to continued organic growth driven by operations in five states, including Arizona.

According to a company statement provided to Cannabis Business Times, Curaleaf respects the rights of its team members who have decided to be represented by a union.

“Where team members have chosen such representation, the company will pursue an honest, business-like approach in working with those representatives,” according to the statement. “While we believe that a direct relationship with our team members is the best route for us to work together, we respect the voices of our team members and will negotiate with union leaders in good faith. We know our team members, our business and our patients and customers depend on a positive work environment, and we are committed to a collaborative culture that allows our team to feel heard, supported and respected.”

In addition to pay transparency, the Curaleaf Midtown workers are asking for better pay, benefits, working conditions and safety, according to UFCW Local 99. The workers still don’t have a union contract after more than 15 months since voting in favor of unionizing.

State Reps. Annalize Ortiz and Mariana Sandoval, both Democrats, expressed their support for the dispensary workers during the strike, multiple news sources reported.

“Your direct action here today speaks volumes, and when you take brave courageous actions like this to walk off the job, you not only are fighting for yourselves and your co-workers but for every worker who is taken advantage of by their employer and by corporations,” said Ortiz, FOX 10 Phoenix reported.

Ortiz was endorsed by UFCW Local 99 when she ran for office.

This Curaleaf Midtown strike comes roughly five months after Green Thumb Industries workers at three RISE dispensary locations in the Chicago area held a 13-day unfair labor practice strike in late April. 

RELATED: Union Files Spying Charges Against Green Thumb Industries

Arizona-based employment attorney Jeffrey Toppel, a partner at the Bianchi & Brandt corporate law firm that specializes in such highly regulated industries as cannabis and psychedelics, said in a statement provided to CBT that he sees this moment as being indicative of the unrest among workers across the U.S.

“The recent resurgence of the labor movement cannot only be seen in the incredible increase in the number of union petitions filed with the National Labor Relations Board, but also in the number of high-profile labor strikes throughout the U.S.,” Toppel said. “Emboldened by a NLRB that is very favorable to labor, unions are increasingly using their strongest, but also most disruptive weapon, more frequently. While national strikes—UPS, big auto and SAG-AFTRA—have made the headlines, strikes have occurred more frequently in a number of different industries. Cannabis, which is a leading target of union organizers in several states, is starting to see the impact of striking workers on their businesses.”

Both the Arizona Republic and FOX 10 reported that Friday marked the first time cannabis workers held a strike of any kind in Arizona.

Arizona voters favored adult-use cannabis legalization with a 60% majority in the November 2020 election. Since launching adult-use sales in January 2021, licensed retailers have recorded more than $3.5 billion in sales.

Curaleaf operates 16 of the roughly 170 dispensaries in the state.