The article has been updated to reflect a Green Thumb Industries statement at approximately 1:20 pm on Sept. 3.
Pennsylvania dispensary workers for one of the largest cannabis companies in the U.S. formed a picket line and went on strike Sept. 1—Labor Day—after claiming their employer refused to bargain in good faith.
Green Thumb Industries employs the RISE workers at its dispensaries in York, Pa. They are represented by Teamsters Local Union. Green Thumb Industries is a vertically-integrated multistate company with the second highest market capitalization among public cannabis companies. Green Thumb reported In 2024, the company expects to generate $1.1 billion of revenue with a profit of $73.1million. It employs 4,800 people in 108 locations across 14 states.
After Local 776, represented by Jason Weinstock and its legal representative filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board on August 28, alleging bad faith bargaining against Green Thumb, the RISE strike at York dispensaries began.
Teamsters Local 776 reported that “our brothers and sisters from RISE Dispensary won’t be celebrating Labor Day with us.” The employer forced them to go on strike for its bad faith bargaining tactics. While generating revenues in excess of $1 billion by 2024, the company refused to pay our members a fair wage. The company’s chief executive officer [Ben Kovler] In the same year, I received over $10,000,000 in bonuses, salary, and awards.”
The statement is provided in a way that allows you to: Cannabis Business Times A Green Thumb spokeswoman said that the company has been acting in good faith ever since “some of our team members” decided to join a union back in July 2024.
Green Thumb and union representatives have worked together in good-faith over the last fourteen months toward an agreement that is mutually beneficial,” said the spokesperson. “The last, best and most final offer from the company included substantial wage increases and comprehensive benefit packages.” Green Thumb carried out a comprehensive market analysis in order to determine whether the company’s offer is competitive and fair based upon job requirements and conditions of Pennsylvania’s retail cannabis industry.
Local 776 of the Teamsters, which represents over 8,500 Teamsters across six counties, felt that the offer was not good enough.
Green Thumb operates 18 dispensaries for medical marijuana in Pennsylvania. However, only the one retail location at 2139 White St. located in York is affected by the strike.
“Over the course of the last year Local 776 has been in talks with RISE for a new contract,” says Local 776. Local 776 reports that the company “refused to move away from their offer of a final, best and most definitive contract proposal which was rejected unanimously by members.”
RISE’s workers have gone on strike in order to get Green Thumb, Inc. to retract its “last best offer.” They also want the company to enter into negotiations with good faith to create a contract that “recognizes the work that these RISE staff members perform each and every single day.”
Green Thumb’s spokesperson stated that the company respected the rights of its employees but still plans to maintain the York location open in order to continue serving medical cannabis patients.
A spokesperson explained that on Sept. 1, 2025, a number of unionized team members decided to go on strike as a way to protest the proposal. Green Thumb respects rights for team members, which includes the right to strike. “We hope that the union will recognize the benefits of this contract and help team members move forward in unity.”
Two years ago, RISE unionized workers in three marijuana dispensaries across Pennsylvania. Chicago Area goes on Strike Teamsters Local 777 filed a complaint alleging unfair labor practice relating to employee wearing of pro-union badges at the workplace and demanding higher wages and better retirement benefits. Green Thumb denied these allegations when they were made.
This strike was 13 days long in April of 2023. Green Thumb has agreed to increase worker wages by 50 percent, as per Teamsters representatives from Illinois.
Local 776 in Pennsylvania asked the community to not cross the picket lines at RISE Dispensary York, and instead shop somewhere else.
Cannabis Business Times Green Thumb representatives and the Local 776 representative were contacted for more information.