(WBBM NEWSRADIO) – More than 100 union workers at RISE cannabis dispensary locations in the Chicago area walked off the job Wednesday, on the eve of 4/20 Day, the unofficial holiday for marijuana users.
Teamsters representatives have announced an open-ended unfair labor practice, or ULP strike, demanding fair wages and retirement security from Rise's parent company, Green Thumb Industries, or GTI.
Union member Reilly Drew, who works at the company’s Niles dispensary, said a major factor prompting the strike was the company's demands that employees remove pro-union buttons.
Drew says he's fighting for the role his job may play in the future.
"We're lower than all of our major competitors in the state in terms of wage currently, and that includes the non-union environment as well,” he said. “So, we're fighting for a competitive living wage that is equal to the value that we bring to this billion-dollar company that we have built."
He says they've been trying to get a contract for a year.
A Green Thumb spokesperson tells WBBM Newsradio the company respects the rights of employees and that the company has made a "fair offer" to the union. Accommodations have been made so that Rise stores can remain open.
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