Shift supervisors unable to unionize are left in limbo, despite workers claiming low pay and lack of authority
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Shift supervisors at Eaze, the largest cannabis delivery service in the U.S., are increasingly frustrated with their pay and working conditions in Southern California, highlighting a growing divide between workers and management. While delivery drivers at Eaze successfully unionized with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) in 2023 and secured a contract after threatening to strike, shift supervisors have been left out of these negotiations. Eaze has argued that supervisors are in management roles and therefore ineligible to unionize, a claim disputed by the workers due to their low pay and lack of authority.
Shift supervisors allege that they are paid less than the drivers they manage, earning just $18 an hour—barely above the Los Angeles County minimum wage of $17.24. In contrast, drivers earn over $20 an hour, plus tips and mileage compensation. Supervisors say they struggle to make ends meet, with some relying on food stamps and borrowing money from the drivers they supervise. They are also burdened with extra responsibilities, cross-trained for tasks beyond their job scope without additional compensation, and often face unsafe working conditions, including pest infestations and chronic understaffing.
Eaze's financial difficulties have exacerbated these issues, as the company’s assets were sold at auction in August 2023. Workers have been pushing for wage increases, demanding up to $27 per hour, but their calls have gone unanswered. The company claims it is unable to make changes to pay due to its financial situation, leaving workers in limbo as they await decisions from the National Labor Relations Board about their right to unionize.
The labor strife at Eaze reflects broader challenges in the booming cannabis industry, where rapid growth and legalization have not always translated into fair wages and working conditions. Labor unions, such as UFCW and the Teamsters, are working to ensure that the industry's expansion does not come at the expense of its workers, but the situation at Eaze underscores the difficulties in achieving that goal for all employees.
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