Employees At Ontario Cannabis Store’s Call Center Vote To Unionize

More than 20 employees at a call enter for the Ontario Cannabis Store have voted to unionize and join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. 

What Happened

As part of a union, the employees will be able to fight for fair hours, scheduling and job security.

The company is challenging seven ballots that were cast by workers hired through a temp agency, UFCW National Representative Kevin Shimmin told The Toronto Star. 

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The move to unionize employees follows an unfair labor practice complaint that the UFCW filed against Line One Contact Centres, the company that provides call center services to the Ontario Cannabis Store. According to the complaint, an employee was unfairly terminated after beginning discussions about forming an union with colleagues and supervisors last month. 

Why It's Important

The latest move by Line One employees is part of a broader set of actions to unionize employees in the cannabis industry. The UFCW already represents employees at several retail locations operated by the Société Québécoise du Cannabis in Quebec and workers in the cannabis industry in the U.S. 

In addition, the union is presenting a challenge to laws in Ontario that do not allow unionization among agricultural workers in the cannabis industry.

What's Next

The Ontario Labour Relations Board has yet to issue a decision on the matter, Line One's president told The Star. Line One is also challenging the complaint filed by the UFCW. 

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