FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 15, 2021

RWDSU Contact: Chelsea Connor, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 347-866-6259

Local 338 RWDSU Contact: Nikki Kateman, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., 347-668-2860

(NEW YORK, NY) – Late yesterday, Local 338 Retail, Wholesale, Department Store Union (RWDSU)/United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), announced that workers at Sunnyside* (operated by Cresco Labs) have ratified their first union contract, which comes just weeks after the passage of the Marijuana Taxation & Regulation Act. The bargaining unit covers approximately forty workers who work across New York at the company’s four retail dispensaries.

“I’ve worked for Sunnyside* for about a year and a half and joining Local 338 is an exciting opportunity for me and my coworkers because it means having access to quality health coverage at no cost to us. However, being a union member means more to me than just the benefits our contract provides. I see it as giving me the opportunity to grow personally and professionally, granting me a long-term career path in the cannabis industry,” said Tyler Curtis, Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW member and Wellness Advisor working at Sunnyside*. 

 “Our members are dedicated to the patients they serve and provide a significant service to the company they work for. With strong starting salaries for new hires, wage increases for current workers, and no-cost health benefits for workers and their families, this first contract sets a standard for not just careers at Sunnyside*, but also what workers in New York’s cannabis industry deserve and should expect as the industry continues to develop.” said Joseph Fontano, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW.

The Sunnyside* (Cresco Labs) contract was ratified by the members of Local 338 RWDSU/UFCW after months of negotiations. The contract will be in effect for three years and includes critical provisions such as:

• Annual wage increases or bonuses over the term of the contract. The hourly rate of pay for members will increase an average of 4.15% per year (based on workers’ job classification) over the term of the 3-year agreement.  
• The union secured language in the contract that increases the minimum starting rate for all new hires.

• Workers will receive paid time off, as well as additional paid holidays, including Juneteenth.
• The company will provide workers and their dependents with full medical coverage through the Union’s medical fund at no cost to the workers through the term of the contract.

Sunnyside* joins five other medical cannabis companies with collective bargaining agreements already in effect in New York State and Local 338 RWSDU/UFCW represents approximately 500 workers at these companies who are employed across the industry’s supply chain.