Employees at BeLeaf Medical's Sinse Cannabis site in St. Louis moved a step closer to unionizing last week, when their employer's efforts to block union election votes from being counted were rebuffed by a federal labor official.
Since September, BeLeaf leaders have argued before the National Labor Relations Board that the employees weren't eligible to unionize because they were agricultural workers – who are not protected under federal labor law.
On Jan. 25, National Labor Relations Board Regional Director Andrea Wilkes issued a 13-page decision detailing why the employees are not agricultural workers and allowing them to cast votes in the unionization election.
She ordered an election be held on Feb. 6, where 16 employees cast votes. Just before the votes were counted, BeLeaf leaders issued another challenge to 11 of the employees' votes, delaying the official count from taking place.
Wilkes issued a second decision last week, stating the evidence BeLeaf provided still "does not raise substantial and material factual issues" in proving they are agricultural employees.
Read more at missouriindependent.com