Workers at the Fine Fettle cannabis dispensary in Willimantic voted to form a union, a reflection of a larger trend of industry workers organizing across the state.
Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media
Just over one year ago, Connecticut only had one cannabis workers’ union. Now, hundreds of dispensary workers in several municipalities across the state have joined in on an industry-wide unionizing trend.
The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, the largest cannabis workers union in the country, currently represents workers at five dispensaries in Connecticut, and organizing efforts continue to grow, said UFCW Director of Organizing Emily Sabo.
The first group of Connecticut cannabis workers to organize was in March 2023 at Advanced Grow Labs in West Haven, when 48 workers voted to form their union with UFCW Local 919, which has been leading Connecticut’s unionization efforts. That seems to have acted as the catalyst for other cannabis workers union drives, because since then, Sabo said the UFCW has been working on campaigns with more dispensaries, and organizing interest continues to spike in all parts of the state.
Article continues below this ad
“So I think it’s safe to say that unionizing is really popular among a lot of cannabis workers,