Venice Pot Delivery Drivers Vote to Unionize Amid Safety Concerns

VENICE, CA — Citing issues with employee safety, scheduling changes, pay and access to affordable benefits, approximately 30 cannabis delivery drivers in Venice voted to unionize this week.

The employees work at the Stachs-Eaze Lincoln cannabis delivery depot and join the countless other Stachs-Eaze employees across the state of California who also sought union representation. The new Venice unit is the second Los Angeles Stachs-Eaze depot to unionize since March, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 770.

“We are joining UFCW because we want a safer workplace and we want to make sure Stachs-Eaze treats employees with the dignity and respect we deserve,” said Lincoln delivery driver Harmony Roberts. “It is unacceptable that the company seems to care more about its bottom line than the safety of its employees, and we are demanding change.”

The vote for Venice delivery drivers happened amid company-wide changes to policies and working conditions at depot operations, which raised employee concerns about workplace safety, according to Local 770.

Stachs is a subsidiary of Eaze, which is the largest multi-state cannabis delivery operator in the country and is headquartered in San Francisco. The LA depots aren't the only ones to unionize, most recently about 80 workers at the San Jose depot also voted to unionize.

In the coming weeks, two more LA-area Stachs-Eaze depots are set to vote on unionization, and more elections are expected to follow, according to Local 770.

“Cannabis industry workers are making it clear that they want a union and a voice on the job,” said Local 770 President Kathy Finn, “and Local 770 is proud to welcome Stachs-Eaze employees to our union family.”