A second medical marijuana dispensary is now unionized.
Bloom Medicinals dispensary in O'Fallon voted in favor of employees being represented by Local 655 of the United Food and Commercial Workers in bargaining negotiations with management, according to media reports.
St. Louis County Councilman Tim Fitch (R-District 3), who is pro-family and pro-labor, has no problem with the employees of marijuana dispensaries unionizing.
“There's plenty of businesses in St. Louis County that are unionized, including many of our police officers and the public works people,” he said. “I wouldn't think it's that far of a leap to say that marijuana employees want to be unionized or see Amazon and Starbucks workers become unionized.”
The Root 66 dispensary on South Grand in St. Louis was the first to unionize in April and if voters overwhelmingly support a ballot initiative that would legalize adult-use marijuana, there will be more dispensary workers, which could influence other dispensaries to unionize.
"Many of the medical dispensaries will also become adult-use dispensaries," said Dan Viets, a Columbia attorney who defends marijuana cases and serves as the Missouri State Coordinator for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
“If the workers feel like they're being treated fairly and they feel like they're getting benefits and fair wages, then they don't have a lot of incentive to unionize but if they feel like they're being mistreated or being treated unfairly, then yes there will be an incentive to unionize."
The Labor Tribune reported that Local 655 represents 8,500 workers who are employed in food stores and other facilities in and around the eastern half of the state.