Green Dragon workers told Denverite in April that they were organizing after suffering poor treatment, low wages, and inadequate ventilation. Organizers said the bosses refused to give them the personal protective equipment they needed to stay safe and described a warehouse with algae growing on the floor and insects and mold on the plants.
“I can’t breathe,” grow-house worker Jared Handran said. “All day, I have to wear a dust mask. And even with a dust mask, I go home and hack up mucus. It’s horrible. Like, some days, I can’t even breathe when I come home.” Handran was not alone in suffering from respiratory issues.
“I sometimes can’t sleep at night with how hard I’m coughing,” grow-house worker Natasha Martinez said. “The breathing is really rough, and it doesn’t help that they’ve heard my complaint for, like, a year now, and nothing has changed.”
Several workers were fired and then rehired after unionizing, Petersen said in April. Now that they have a recognized union, members plan to form a committee to negotiate better conditions with management. They will demand the company address issues of mold, raise wages, improve job stability and show respect to workers.
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