Workers lit the fire, and now the industry’s feeling the heat. You gotta fight for it: there’s no other way.
After forty-five days walking the picket line through Pennsylvania’s early-winter chill, the cannabis workers at RISE Dispensary in York proved something simple yet revolutionary: collective action works.
What started as a demand for equal pay became a historic milestone, the longest successful labor strike in U.S. cannabis history, as Ganjapreneur shares.
The employees at RISE, a store owned by multistate operator Green Thumb Industries (GTI), stood together with Teamsters Local 776 to demand fair wages, job security, and dignity in a rapidly growing but uneven industry.
The strike ended when the results arrived: a ratified first-ever collective bargaining agreement guaranteeing paid holidays, bereavement leave, annual raises, and a fair disciplinary process. All rights that most cannabis workers across the country still dream of.
“This is a monumental achievement, and it’s entirely due to the grit and bravery of our members,” said Ed Thompson, President of Teamsters Local 776, to Cannabis Business Times. “By winning this strike, these men and women have set the stage for thousands of other cannabis workers to join our cause.”
You win when you unite
The workers’ core demand was equal pay with other RISE dispensaries owned by the same corporation. But under the surface, this strike was about something larger: ending “at-will” employment that allowed staff to be fired without cause and securing a real seat at the table as the cannabis economy grows.
“The members were fully behind the strike action for a better agreement,” explained Mark Cicak, Business Agent for Teamsters Local 776. “They stood united and never wavered from their goal… They want to ensure they have a seat at the table as the business (and profits) grow.”
That resolve paid off: the new contract replaces the “at-will” system with just cause protections. Such a legal and cultural shift gives cannabis employees a measure of stability that remains rare in an industry still finding its labor identity.
“This is a perfect example of how Teamsters contracts can bring long-term prosperity to workers throughout this industry,” said Jesse Case, Director of the Teamsters Food Processing Division.
Through forty-five tense days, the RISE crew built alliances rooted in solidarity. Customers, neighboring businesses, and other unions brought coffee, joined marches, and amplified their message online.
“The outpouring of support we received from customers, the community, and our union brothers and sisters embodies what solidarity is all about,” said John Stambaugh, patient-care specialist at RISE. Their persistence turned a local labor fight into a national headline, proof that cannabis workers are done being treated as “gig labor” in a billion-dollar industry.
What can the cannabis industry learn from this?
This isn’t just York’s win. It’s resonating across every dispensary, cultivation site, and production floor where workers are still afraid to speak up. The RISE strike shows that unionizing is possible —and effective— in a sector that’s long been described as too fragmented, too new, or too corporate to organize.
It also marks a turning point for public perception, because cannabis is no longer the Wild West. It’s an industry learning how to mature, regulate itself, and honor the people who run it.
These workers didn’t just win a contract, they set a precedent. The next time someone says unionizing in cannabis is impossible, York, PA, will have the receipts to prove otherwise.
