Workers at Michigan’s largest cannabis company voted to form a union

The last few months have seen a rise in food and retail workers filing petitions to organize a union at their respective stores. And now, workers in the cannabis industry are joining, too.

On Monday, workers at Lume Cannabis Co.'s adult-use dispensary at 15391 S. Dixie Hwy., Monroe, announced they had elected to form a union. The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 876 says it is the first of Lume's locations to unionize.

Lume Cannabis Co. is the largest cannabis company in Michigan.

"Unions built Southeast Michigan and we're honored to be the newest part of the rebuilding effort," said Michael, a "Luminary" at Lume's Monroe location, in a press release. "A unionized Lume means better working conditions for employees, better relationships between the store and corporate management, and an improved experience for cannabis enthusiasts."

Union efforts began in early July, and came to a vote on Aug. 26.

The company has retail locations in more than 30 cities including Mount Pleasant, Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor, and Grand Rapids.

Metro Times could not reach Lume Cannabis Co. for comment.

The UFCW says it intends to organize more workplaces in the cannabis industry, and created a website for the campaign, ufcw.org/cannabis.

"We are very pleased to announce the newest addition to the UFCW 876 family," UFCW 876 President Dan Pedersen said in a statement. "Congratulations to the Monroe Lume workers who voted to organize. These workers stood together because they know that having a union contract is the way to create a sustainable future as a cannabis worker."

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