Labor unions are fighting to represent workers in the budding Illinois cannabis industry. Employees for major pot producer Cresco Labs voted yesterday to form a union at it Joliet cultivation facility. Zach Koutsky is the political director for one of the local chapters of the United Food and Commercial Workers.

He says the union wants to organize the whole industry: “We think that one should be enough and we think that these cannabis jobs can turn into cannabis careers. They can support a families and individuals in the communities that house them.” Cresco Labs says it supports its employees decision. Other unions also plan to organize cannabis workers, although the Teamsters narrowly failed to unionize a Rock Island facility last month.

WBEZ Radio Chicago