A union representing cannabis workers at three Green Thumb Industries (GTI) retail locations in Illinois has filed additional unfair labor practice (ULP) charges against the Chicago-based multistate operator.
Teamsters Local 777, which represents more than 500 cannabis workers throughout the state, is accusing Green Thumb of spying on its dispensary workers, claiming company officials read messages among unionized workers on a private server during a 13-day ULP strike in late April.
“We are disappointed, but not surprised, by this latest turn of events,” Local 777 President Jim Glimco said in a June 8 press release. “This is the same employer that has lied repeatedly to both its staff and the general public about its conduct. We hoped for GTI to change its behavior but hope and expectation are two very different things.”
In a statement from a Green Thumb spokesperson provided to Cannabis Business Times, the company disputed the claims made by Teamsters.
“We regret that the Teamsters are choosing to continue their campaign of misinformation, distraction, and delay rather than focus on making progress at the bargaining table," the statement reads. "We did not surveil our employees' private communications during the strike, and in fact had no means of doing so. We are confident that this baseless allegation will not stand up to scrutiny. In the meantime, we are ready and eager to continue working toward an agreement that meets the needs of our employees and the business.”
More than 100 Green Thumb retail workers at RISE dispensaries in Chicagoland—two in Joliet and one in Niles—began picketing April 19 and continued through the end of the month, an organized movement that was sparked by the company demanding its workers in Niles remove pro-union insignias (buttons) while they were at work, according to Local 777.
RELATED: Green Thumb Workers Strike at 3 Dispensaries in Illinois
Green Thumb also told CBT at that time that the company was compliant with its labor practices, stating that it respects the rights of its employees, including the fundamental right to organize and strike during labor negotiations.
Green Thumb agreed to raise worker wages by 50% during that strike, according to Teamsters.
Now, in addition to the spy charges filed, Teamsters 777 claims that Green Thumb has been diverting hours from part-time workers who participated in the strike and is allocating those hours to temporary workers.
“Unfortunately, this is not a company that has learned its lesson,” said Peter Finn, Teamsters Western Region International vice president and Food Processing Division director. “The company’s continued refusal to respect federal law has led them to lose revenue, operational stability, and the trust of their workforce. If they keep committing ULPs, we will keep filing charges. The Teamsters will not be broken.”
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