A few days before the unofficial marijuana holiday of April 20, as retailers prepared for the biggest sales day since legalization, Austin Monroe says he was fired by Shangri La South dispensary in Columbia.
Monroe is one of 16 employees of the cannabis dispensary who signed an organizing petition seeking union representation by Local 655 of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. The petition for a representation election was filed on April 5 with the National Labor Relations Board, and he says his employment troubles began after bosses found out who had signed.
“I got suspended,” he said and was later fired.
Monroe was among two dozen current and former employees and union organizers who picketed Tuesday outside the marijuana retailer. Organizers said nine of the 16 have either been suspended, fired, or have quit because of employer hostility. Six complaints alleging unfair labor practices have been filed with the NLRB.
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Workers picket Columbia dispensary in push to unionize Missouri marijuana workers
