Montana News
Butte cannabis workers unionize
With Montana News, I'm Elinor Smith. Workers at a marijuana dispensary in Butte Wednesday voted to form the first unionized cannabis workplace in Montana. MTPR's John Hooks has more. Employees of Honey Sour Dispensaries in Butte voted unanimously Wednesday to join the local outpost of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. UFCW says it's organized nearly 300 dispensaries around the country since 2020 and the Honey Sour employees are the first in Montana to join. According to records from the National Labor Relations Board, this was the first vote of its kind for a cannabis-related business in Montana. Melanie Went is one of the workers who organized. She says it's significant the milestone was reached in Butte, which has historically played a central role in the American labor movement. I was born and raised here. My family has been here for about five generations, so honestly, being able to not only be a part of history, but to be a part of union-specific history in Butte, Montana is amazing. Went says she and her colleagues hope their organizing effort shows cannabis work is a legitimate career. A spokesperson for Honey Sour declined to comment on the union vote. In Butte, I'm John Hooks.