Verilife Dispensary Workers Vote To Join Teamsters Local 777

Workers at the Arlington Heights and River North Verilife dispensaries in Illinois became the first locations at the company who voted to join the Teamsters Local 777, which “represents workers in a wide variety of industries throughout the Chicago area,” according to a press release.

“We want to be Teamsters because we want representation in the workplace. With the cannabis industry becoming more established in Illinois, there is room for exploitation. By joining the Teamsters, we can combat this,” William Morris and Eunique Nyonly, two cannabis sales consultants at the River North dispensary, said in the press release.

Besides River North and Arlington Heights, Verilife has six other dispensaries in Illinois and more in other states. It is unknown if workers in those dispensaries are planning to vote to join a union, as well.

According to Ganjapreneur, the workers at these two dispensaries will join the Modern Cannabis dispensary employees in the local Teamsters union.

“These workers are on the frontlines of the grassroots movement to ensure that the billions of dollars in revenue being generated by the nascent cannabis industry goes not just to investors and shareholders, but to the people who are the backbone of these operations,” Local 777 Union president Jim Glimco said in the press release. 

Adult-use recreational marijuana sales in Illinois are projected to reach $1 billion by the end of the year, thanks to the public purchasing cannabis flowers in containers and other products. 

Earlier this year, workers at a grow operation, Tikun Olam California, voted to join Teamsters Local 1932 in Southern California.