Missouri Cannabis Workers Push for Union Elections After Federal Labor Ruling
Cannabis workers at Proper Cannabis in St. Louis filed a union petition after federal labor officials ruled marijuana employees can’t be classified as agricultural workers.
ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI — Cannabis workers at a St. Louis marijuana facility filed a petition this week to hold a union election, following a recent federal labor decision that rejected attempts to classify them as agricultural workers exempt from union protections.
Katie Hazelwonder and 45 other workers in the post-harvest department at Proper Cannabis submitted their petition to the National Labor Relations Board, seeking to organize for better pay, job security, and working conditions.
“We truly are a family, and I plan on retiring from Proper someday,” said Hazelwonder, a trainer in the company’s post-harvest department. “But at the same time, we deserve better.”
Pay Disparities Spark Union Drive
Hazelwonder, who transitioned to cannabis work 18 months ago after 12 years as a welder, said recent pay raises highlighted disparities within the company. While other departments received raises measured in dollar amounts, her post-harvest team received increases of “under 50 cents,” she said.
“I was absolutely heartbroken when I saw the size of our department’s recent raises,” Hazelwonder said.
The post-harvest department processes and packages marijuana products at Proper’s cultivation facility.
Federal Ruling Clears Path for Organizing
The workers’ organizing effort gained momentum from a National Labor Relations Board decision earlier this month that addressed a key legal question in cannabis labor relations.
The federal board rejected arguments from another St. Louis marijuana company that post-harvest employees should be classified as agricultural workers. Such classification would exclude them from protections under federal law that guarantees most private-sector employees the right to unionize without retaliation.
“Thanks to the recent NLRB ruling we have the opportunity to sit at the table and make it better for us and the others to come,” Hazelwonder said.
Growing Labor Movement in Cannabis Industry
The petition is part of a broader trend of cannabis workers across Missouri seeking union representation as the state’s marijuana industry continues to develop following legalization.
The National Labor Relations Board, which decides labor disputes and sets national policy on union organizing, will oversee the election process if the petition meets requirements.
For Hazelwonder, who initially discovered Proper Cannabis during a casual visit to their St. Louis dispensary, the unionization effort reflects her commitment to improving conditions at a workplace she values.
“The people were great,” she recalled of her first impression. “They were just so nice and welcoming, and no judgment. I was like, ‘You know what, I’m gonna look into this.'”
