WeedMD workers try to renegotiate labor contracts

A WeedMD received notice from the Canadian Workers Union, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW Canada), to renegotiate the employment contracts of around 250 workers, who disclosed some problems in the company's operation. Employee grievances particularly focus on schedules, scheduling, unfair terminations, abuse of power and unsafe working conditions.

The union alleges that the company illegally terminated the contract of at least one worker due to union activities. In the Ontario region, cannabis production has been considered agricultural work by the Ontario Labor Relations Board. In this sense, WeedMD workers are excluded from common labor legislation and therefore do not have a clear path to union membership.

However, the workers fall under the Agricultural Employees Protection Act (AEPA) and the union argues that the AEPA itself also violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by failing to protect the freedom of association rights of agricultural workers from Ontario. Since the law came into force in 2002, no group of workers has been able to organize for collective bargaining.

The approximately 250 workers try to renegotiate their contracts with WeedMD with the support of UFCW Canada, which has more than 250.000 members, is one of the voices of cannabis and agriculture workers. Last year, the union managed to unionize and ratify a collective agreement covering call center workers at the Ontario Cannabis Store.