Ann Arbor’s Exclusive dispensary is facing a strike by employees wanting to unionize with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union’s local branch, which represents 18,000 workers across food processing and cannabis industries in Michigan and is part of a larger network of over a million union employees across the States.
Not many dispensaries are unionized, so even though this strike is small (approximately 8 employees), it’s one of the longest strikes to occur in the cannabis industry, so it’s still momentous. The strike began August 28. The previous longest strike in cannabis history was in April 2023 at almost two weeks.
The strike was spurred in part by one of the union supporters being fired. The UFCW filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge, saying the firing was illegal. The union has also filed a complaint with the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency, saying that Exclusive’s workers have the right to unionize and are being denied that right.
The UFCW president of the local branch, Dan Pedersen, issued a statement: “Workers at Exclusive Brands have made it clear that they want to join UFCW Local 876, but the company has desperately tried to silence their voices. The Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency should examine Exclusive Brands’ license in light of the company’s efforts to obstruct these workers’ rights to form a union. All workers in Michigan and across the country have the right to organize.”
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Employees noted being frustrated by necessary repairs in the store being neglected and lack of management communication.
One of the striking budtenders, Chase Leon, said in an issued statement, ““Exclusive Brands cares far more about turning a profit than making their stores a great place to work and grow. I’ve seen morale drop as my co-workers lose their spark and enjoyment for this work. A union would mean we have a voice on the job and empower us to love our work again.”
The president of Exclusive, Omar Hisheh,which owns dispensaries in multiple Michigan cities, said in a statement: “Exclusive has more than 200 employees spanning retail, corporate, and processing operations. While the issue remains pending before the federal government, we want to be clear: Exclusive is not blocking any vote or action from employees.
“We’ve simply raised the legal question of whether the National Labor Relations Board has jurisdiction in cannabis, since cannabis remains a Schedule 1 controlled substance at the federal level.
“Ultimately, it is the federal government, not Exclusive, that decides whether an election can move forward. We believe this is a broader legal and policy issue that extends beyond our company and into how federal law treats cannabis workers.”
Exclusive has publicy said that more than 200 of their employees are still working.
Managers at the Ann Arbor location were unavailable for comment, and didn’t immediately respond to an email requesting comment.
There have been counter-protests by Exclusive employees, with signs saying they are treated fairly and advertising the store.
The police have been called out several times to the protest over differences between the management and the strikers but each time the situation was resolved peacefully.
