Dispensary workers have elected to strike at Herbal Wellness Center in Columbus, Ohio, to protest the company's unfair labor practices (ULP) and secure a fair contract.
The workers organized with Teamsters Local 413 in 2023 when the dispensary was known as Strawberry Fields. The operation was later bought by Vext Science, which has since "gone to extreme lengths to avoid bargaining in good faith," according to the union. For example, the union said the company petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a re-run election after its acquisition, which was was denied.
Vext completed its acquisition of the Columbus dispensary in March 2024.
"There’s no reason the employer can’t provide these workers with what they're demanding — annual wage increases, seniority, and protection from unjust discipline," said Tony Jones, President of Teamsters Local 413. "These are standards that employers have agreed to not just at dispensaries, but everywhere that the Teamsters have a contract."
This is the second strike that Cannabis Teamsters have launched in less than two months. Since September, Teamsters Local 776 members have been on strike at a Green Thumb Industries location in York, Pennsylvania.
"Vext Science's stall tactics are an insult to everyone at this dispensary," said Kismet Royce, lead budtender and a member of the Local 413 negotiating committee. “My co-workers and I are stronger than we’ve ever been, and we’ll be out on strike for as long as it takes to get a fair contract."
Photos from the strike line at the Herbal Wellness Center dispensary in Columbus, Ohio.Teamsters
Photos from the strike line at the Herbal Wellness Center dispensary in Columbus, Ohio.Teamsters
Photos from the strike line at the Herbal Wellness Center dispensary in Columbus, Ohio.Teamsters
Photos from the strike line at the Herbal Wellness Center dispensary in Columbus, Ohio.Teamsters
Photos from the strike line at the Herbal Wellness Center dispensary in Columbus, Ohio.Teamsters
