Iconic Dispensary Sets New York Milestone

UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The Herbal Care, a locally owned dispensary on Lexington Avenue, recently made New York state history — it's the first legal cannabis retailer to unionize.

The bud-tenders at the store, which opened in 2023 as one of the city's early entrants into the state's adult-use cannabis market, have joined Local 338 which is a New York cannabis union.

The recent vote to unionize, founder Markel Bababekov told Patch, reinforces the shop's commitment to employee rights, collaboration, and long-term sustainability as the state's legal market continues to expand.

"Unionizing is not just about business — it's about building a better future for everyone involved," Bababekov said.

For bud-tender Calib Wolters, unionizing means he's getting consistently 32 hours of work per week and that the entire staff got a $1.10 per hour raise up to make around $19 an hour.

"I was concerned about turnover with prior staff, so I was happy to get the union behind us, just for representation and to hear our concerns," Wolters, an Upper East Sider and musician, told Patch. "Getting both [pay raises and hour minimums] up has helped immensely."

As part of the union contract, the workers now have added recognized holidays, where bud-tenders on shift will make time-and-a-half pay.

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