Ascend Cannabis Dispensary Unionizes With Teamsters Local 25

NEWTON, MA — Workers at Ascend Cannabis, with locations in West Newton and Boston, voted last week to join Teamsters Local 25, becoming the first cannabis dispensary in New England to organize with the union, Teamsters said in a news release.

Employees at the Boston facility voted by mail-in ballot and election certification took place on Aug. 23. According to Teamsters, the vote marks a major victory in their effort to raise wages and benefits in the U.S. cannabis industry.

“This is a huge win for workers at Ascend and for the labor movement in New England,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement. “Right now, the cannabis industry is one of the most lucrative industries out there, with companies pocketing billions of dollars. Cannabis workers in Boston and across the nation deserve fair wages, to be treated with respect, and to have a voice on the job.”

The win in Boston is the latest victory for the Teamsters amid a wave of cannabis workers organizing with the 1.2-million-member union.

“The Teamsters are the strongest and most well-positioned union to protect cannabis workers, in Boston and beyond,” Local 25 President Tom Mari said in a statement. “We’re tough, militant, and dedicated to standing with workers at Ascend to get them strong contracts like the Teamsters have in so many industries. This will mark the first cannabis contract in Boston, but it is far from the last.”

Patch has reached out to Ascend for comment and will update this article when we hear back.