I think this is good news for Phoenix cannabis workers, and honestly, it’s overdue. After nearly four years since employees at Curaleaf Midtown Phoenix became the first dispensary workers in Arizona to unionize, they’ve finally ratified their first union contract.
That matters because stalled wage talks can wear people down fast, especially in a retail job where the work is public-facing and the pressure is constant. According to the reporting, the contract secures wage increases and other measures for workers at Curaleaf’s midtown Phoenix location on North Central Avenue.
What stands out to me is the patience it took to get here. Nearly four years is a long stretch to wait for a first contract after organizing, and that makes this feel less like a flashy labor headline and more like a real, hard-fought step forward. Brandon Richardson, a Midtown budtender and union bargaining committee member, said he was excited to finally be a union member and to have the protection of a union contract and guaranteed raises.
For the Valley’s cannabis scene, this is the kind of labor story that actually hits home: workers organizing, sticking with it, and eventually getting something concrete to show for it.
— Sonny Blaze
