Employees at New Jersey’s Valley Wellness Medical Marijuana Dispensary Welcome Spring by Voting to Unionize With UFCW

Valley Wellness touts expertise of employees, who will now enjoy important union protections, trainings, and benefits as they support company growth

WEST BERLIN, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 360 is pleased to announce the decision by workers at Valley Wellness in Raritan, NJ., to unionize as members of UFCW. As Valley Wellness notes on its website, valleywellnessnj.com, “providing great products starts with a great foundation … That means employing a knowledgeable staff [and] providing a welcoming environment.” According to Valley Wellness, its “staff knows cannabis inside and out,” and are noted as a key driver of customer satisfaction and, ultimately, the company’s current and future success.

“Valley Wellness, and its owner Sarah Trent, have already proven to be a great addition to the growing New Jersey cannabis community,” said Hugh Giordano, UFCW Local 360’s director of organizing. “We’re looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship with what is one of the first stand-alone dispensary operators in the state, a company that provides a refreshing alternative to the large number of Multi-State Operators here.”

NJ Cannabis Certified, the sister company to Valley Wellness and also owned by Trent, was recently named NJ Cannabis Insider’s 2022 Woman-owned Business of the Year.

“Sarah and her team clearly recognize the roll professional employees play in driving long-term success,” added Giordano. “So, it was a real vote of confidence in the future of both the company and the industry when those same professional employees carefully considered, and then selected, the career-supporting benefits that come with joining Local 360.”

Valley Wellness employees now add their names to the growing list of UFCW Local 360 members from New Jersey’s young marijuana economy. The highest scoring 2019 applicant for a medical dispensary license, Valley Wellness recently announced its intention to pursue a conversion license, allowing expansion beyond medical marijuana and into adult-use.

“It is a very positive development. After a blockbuster 2022, this year is continuing the trend of votes in favor of unionizing,” said Sam Ferraino, Jr., UFCW Local 360 president. “This vote is not just in support of unions organizing, it’s in the power of unions to positively impact businesses, families and communities, while maintaining high operating standards powered by a diverse and skilled workforce.”

From seed to sale, UFCW is a recognized leader in organizing cannabis industry employees and is the official AFL-CIO designated cannabis labor union. Representing tens of thousands of cannabis workers in dispensaries, labs, delivery, manufacturing, processing, grow facilities and more, UFCW works with employees and business owners to achieve the shared goal of a regulated cannabis industry that delivers family-sustaining jobs and is focused on social equity.

About United Food and Commercial Workers: The UFCW International Union represents over 1.3 million hardworking families across the U.S. and Canada. These members work in essential industries such as Retail, Warehousing, Manufacturing, Healthcare, Transportation, the Public Sector and Cannabis.