US (CA): Inland Empire's first unionized cannabis cultivation facility

Workers at Tikun, a cannabis cultivator in the City of Adelanto, voted unanimously to ratify a labor agreement with Teamsters Local 1932, making it the first unionized cannabis cultivation facility in the Inland Empire.

Teamsters Local 1932 Secretary-Treasurer Randy Korgan congratulates the new union members at Tikun and commends Tikun management for recognizing the need to bargain in good faith to "create a new higher standard for workers across the industry."

"For over one hundred years, working people across industries have come together as Teamsters and utilized their right to change their workplace for the better. By becoming some of the first cultivation workers in the state to unionize, Tikun Teamsters are an inspiration to all in this industry who want to see greater outcomes for the workers that keep it going," Korgan said. "Tikun management has proven that some employers in this industry want to do right, and by working together, we have created better, more sustainable jobs for this industry and the region as a whole. That's union power at work." 

Tikun opened its 80,000 square foot cultivation facility in 2019. In June 2021, workers at the facility voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters Local 1932. The results marked the first Agricultural Labor Relations Board election victory for cannabis workers in Southern California.

Now, the group's first union contract enshrines first-time job security, grievance procedures, and higher wages, with unprecedented clarity on advancement and growth at the company. Additionally, Tikun agreed to partner with Teamsters Local 1932 to establish training opportunities for workers seeking apprenticeships with the company and within the industry.

"Our first union contract represents tremendous growth for all of us workers at this company," said Ken Ocean, a Cultivation Technician at Tikun. "It's really a privilege for any of us in this business to have taken part in this process and we're really putting the mark on the map that there is a brighter light coming in this industry."