Zen Leaf Workers in Buchanan Ratify First Contract with UFCW 951

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Workers at Zen Leaf in Buchanan voted on Friday, June 14 to overwhelmingly ratify their first contract with UFCW 951.

“The workers at Zen Leaf Buchanan wanted union representation to give them the guarantees and protections in the workplace they deserve, along with competitive wages, and quality healthcare,” John Cakmakci, UFCW 951 president, said. “We are excited to represent the employees at Zen Leaf Buchanan.”

This contract features immediate wage increases for all employees and three percent wage increases each year over the life of the contract; a full-time work week of 38 or more hours – up from 32 hours; and employees with over three years of service will gain a week of vacation.

Workers at the dispensary see UFCW 951 union representation as a step in the right direction when it comes to a lasting career in an industry known for high employee turnover.

“The staff of Zen Leaf Buchanan are very excited to now have job protections as well as guaranteed annual raises,” said Kelsey Rems, a member of the Zen Leaf Buchanan bargaining committee.

Zen Leaf owns cannabis dispensaries in 12 states, with Buchanan being its only Michigan location. Zen Leaf Buchanan opened in 2019 and was the first dispensary to operate in the city as well as the first to unionize.

The employees from Buchanan are among the tens of thousands of cannabis workers who have joined UFCW locals throughout the U.S. and Canada, thanks to the UFCW International’s Cannabis Workers Rising campaign. The Buchanan workers are also among several Zen Leaf employees to join a UFCW local just within the past two years, including a Connecticut dispensary which approved a union contract in February and became the first dispensary in the state to ratify a union contract.

   UFCW 951 is a progressive labor union representing nearly 30,000 workers across Michigan in a variety of industries including grocery, retail, food processing, pharmacy, and cannabis, who are employed at a variety of companies including Meijer, Kroger, Rite Aid, JBS, JLL, Sunberry Beverages, Polly’s, Harding’s, and Grandville Nut Roasting & Packaging Plant. The UFCW is the largest private sector union in the United States representing over 1.3 million UFCW members nationwide and UFCW 951 is the largest private sector union in Michigan.

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