[PRESS RELEASE] – CHICAGO, March 16, 2026 – After five months of negotiations, cannabis workers at Dispensary 33 unanimously ratified their first five-year contract with Teamsters Local 777.
"This contract recognizes the vital roles these workers play in the success of this business, and it ensures they are treated with the respect they deserve," Local 777 President Jim Glimco said. "We're proud to bring more stability to Dispensary 33 by securing higher wages, improved health care benefits, and strong job protections against unjust discipline or termination."
Teamsters at Dispensary 33 secured this agreement less than a year after budtenders overwhelmingly voted to join the union. Over the past four years, Local 777 has secured collective bargaining agreements for hundreds of workers in the Illinois cannabis industry.
"Cannabis workers across the country are organizing to win better wages, stronger benefits and real career opportunities," said Jesse Case, director of the Teamsters Food Processing Division. "Our members at Dispensary 33 are proving what's possible when workers stand together and demand a fair contract. Agreements like this help turn cannabis jobs into stable careers."
"This was honestly one of the hardest and most fulfilling experiences I've ever gone through," said Lyzette Soto, Local 777 member and award-winning budtender. "We are passionate and proud of the community we've created to guarantee better conditions in our workplace."
Founded in 1937, Teamsters Local 777 represents workers in a wide variety of industries throughout the Chicago area.
