A Phoenix cannabis dispensary must rehire an employee terminated for unionizing efforts, a federal labor judge has decided.
In a July 22 directive, National Labor Relations Board Judge Mara-Louise Anzalone ordered Curaleaf Dispensary Midtown to rehire Nickolas Fredrickson and compensate him for lost income, other employment benefits and tax liabilities incurred. The judge's decision found the Midtown location violated the National Labor Relations Act by firing Fredrickson.
Fredrickson was a Curaleaf budtender for nearly four years before his employment was terminated April 21, 2024. The firing came a day after Fredrickson called out Curaleaf for what he described as "retaliation." Fredrickson's criticism came as fellow United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 99 organizers picketed outside a Curaleaf location on Camelback Road near Seventh Street.
As outlined in the judge's decision, Curaleaf's given reason for terminating Frederickson was an April 9, 2024 incident when he failed to ID an underage person on the sales floor at a dispensary at Central Avenue and Muhammad Ali Way.
Read more at AZ Central
