Vireo Health Employees Ratify First Cannabis Union Contract in Pennsylvania with UFCW 1776KS
PHILADELPHIA, PA (October 7, 2019) – United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776 Keystone State and Vireo Health International, Inc. (“Vireo”) (CNSX: VREO; OTCQX: VREOF), announced that workers at Pennsylvania Medical Solutions, voted overwhelmingly to ratify a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and officially join the ranks of UFCW 1776KS.
Pennsylvania Medical Solutions is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vireo, a leading physician-led, science-focused, multi-state cannabis company.
The three-year agreement marks the first vertically integrated medical cannabis union contract ratified in Pennsylvania. The agreement will cover employees working in Vireo’s Scranton-based, state-of-the-art 89,000 square-foot manufacturing facility that supplies precisely formulated medical marijuana products to third-party dispensaries throughout the state. The agreement also includes employees that will work at Vireo dispensaries planned for Scranton, Bethlehem, and Stroudsburg.
“This is a fantastic contract for our members and a great win for the future of all workers in the cannabis industry,” said UFCW 1776KS president, Wendell Young IV. “I am very proud of the role that UFCW has played in helping to bring collective bargaining to the cannabis industry and help create good-paying jobs in Pennsylvania. I want to thank our union bargaining committee and Vireo Health for their hard work on this contract.”
The agreement includes several provisions that will benefit Vireo employees. The contract provides employees with competitive starting wages, access to affordable and high-quality healthcare, guaranteed annual wage increases, a generous paid time off program, and an employer-funded retirement plan. It also includes comprehensive safety provisions and anti-discrimination language and establishes sound procedures for grievance and arbitration matters.
“As a socially responsible business, Vireo is deeply committed to its employees and is proud to be a union employer,” said Kyle Kingsley, M.D., CEO of Vireo Health. “We believe that a unionized workforce is key to our company’s success and look forward to partnering with UFCW to support legislation, such as legalizing adult-use cannabis, that will help create thousands of new middle-class jobs across the Keystone State.”
The union played an integral part in the passage of medical cannabis legislation in Pennsylvania, working closely with Governor Tom Wolf and lawmakers to help pass the legislation in 2016.
About UFCW Local 1776KS
UFCW Local 1776KS represents 35,000 members in a variety of industries across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, and New York. The Local’s Cannabis Division continues to reach out to workers and companies across Pennsylvania. For more information about UFCW Local 1776KS, please visit www.ufcw1776.org.
About Vireo Health International, Inc.
Vireo Health International, Inc.’s mission is to build the cannabis company of the future by bringing the best of medicine, engineering and science to the cannabis industry. Vireo’s physician-led team of nearly 400 employees provides best-in-class cannabis products and customer experience. Vireo cultivates cannabis in environmentally friendly greenhouses, manufactures pharmaceutical-grade cannabis extracts, and sells its products at both company-owned and third-party dispensaries. The Company currently is licensed in eleven markets including Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and Rhode Island. For more information about the Company, please visit www.vireohealth.com.
Contact Information
Media
Victoria Tolley
Communications, UFCW 1776KS
(610)906-2654
Media Inquiries
Albe Zakes
Vice President, Corporate Communications
albezakes@vireohealth.com
(267) 221-4800