The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 360 labor union is calling on The Cannabis Place (TCP) Founder Osbert Orduña to honor their publicly celebrated commitments to employees, following the company’s federal lawsuit challenging New Jersey’s Labor Peace Agreement (LPA) requirements.
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UFCW Criticizes The Cannabis Place Dispensary Actions
“For workers at The Cannabis Place, this is about whether their jobs will provide fair wages, access to affordable health care, and a meaningful voice in the workplace,” said Hugh Giordano, UFCW Local 360’s director of organizing. “Local 360 provided meaningful support to Osbert’s business and worked with him to build and launch a career-oriented training partnership because we believed in the commitments he made. He may have decided to simply abandon those commitments. But his employees deserve to see them fulfilled, including at the bargaining table.”
“We respect Mr. Orduña’s military service and enthusiastically supported him in building this business,” said Sam Ferraino, president of UFCW Local 360. “So, the recent dishonorable behavior on his part is very disappointing. TCP’s workers deserve an employer that deals honorably with those helping it succeed. We’re asking Osbert to be that kind of employer, to follow through on public pledges, and to work honestly toward a fair contract that leads to meaningful improvements on the job.”
UFCW Local 360 rejects The Cannabis Place’s allegations as baseless and views the lawsuit as an attempt to evade the commitments Orduña publicly made to TCP’s employees.
“Any serious consideration of social equity must include worker equity,” Ferraino added. “Opening doors for minority-owned and veteran-owned businesses matters. So does ensuring that the people working in those businesses have an opportunity to build secure, family-supporting careers.”
According to the union, TCP offered neither a counterproposal nor suggested revisions to its opening contract proposal. Giordano raised concerns about the lack of a counterproposal before the Jersey City Council on October 7th. He emphasized the potential negative consequences for employees seeking better pay and working conditions.
“The Cannabis Place is not bargaining in good faith,” Giordano told council members, and noted that by “attacking equity and justice for working-class people he’s not hurting the UFCW, he’s hurting the workers … who want a living wage, who want the opportunity for fair and decent health care, personal time, sick time, and safe working conditions.”
Former Industry Partners Fight
Prior public announcements document a partnership that TCP and UFCW Local 360 both celebrated:
- In November 2023, they jointly announced a cannabis retail pre-apprenticeship program designed to connect local residents with career training and employment opportunities. In that announcement, Orduña described his vision for TCP as “running an ethical, unionized company and boosting the prospects and prosperity of our neighbors.”
- In July 2024, TCP hosted political and labor leaders at its Jersey City location for a public signing of its union recognition agreement with UFCW Local 360. The accompanying announcement highlighted the value and importance of employees’ efforts to unite for better wages, benefits, and workplace standards.
According to Ferraino, the dispute raises concerns beyond a single dispensary. The lawsuit, against the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) and UFCW Local 360, challenges the state’s labor peace agreement requirements. It also alleges interference with TCP’s efforts to obtain a replacement labor peace agreement. TCP is represented by Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete LLP, a management-side law firm that advertises union-avoidance services and cites its experience developing campaigns to prevent unionization.
The Cannabis Place Dispensary Responds
“UFCW Local 360’s press release is a desperate PR stunt designed to distract from their own reckless actions,” Orduña alleged.
“Attempting to destroy a business and put our staff out on the street is not protecting employees; it is a coercive pressure tactic,” he claimed.
“The union’s claims of ‘bad faith’ are especially hypocritical given that we filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against UFCW Local 360 with the National Labor Relations Board this past August to address their coercive behavior. The Cannabis Place remains entirely committed to our social equity mission and the prosperity of our team. We fully support our employees’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act. However, we will not be bullied into surrendering our federal rights… We look forward to prevailing,” Orduña added.
