Eaze Updates 2.4.26
Greetings Eaze Union Members,
This is an update around some important issues at EAZE.
The first major update is related to our Union’s pending arbitration with Eaze, and the soon to be parent company, Vireo Growth Inc. As a reminder, arbitration is a process delineated in our contract to resolve disputes around interpretation of our contract. In other words, our attorneys and the company’s attorney present a case to a neutral third party professional arbitrator (like a referee) around the contract dispute, with our attorneys arguing for our interpretation of the language. The arbitrator then rules and both sides are obligated to follow that ruling.
Eaze’s position is that arbitration is that our agreement was to “freeze” the current base pay for the duration of the contract, through 2028, rather than allowing the base pay to rise with changes to minimum wage and provide cost of living increases for every employee. Our understanding of course was the opposite. We do not agree with EAZE’s position and attorneys are preparing to make those arguments to the arbitrator.
In December, we met and discussed the possibility of filing an Unfair Labor Practice against Eaze for regressive bargaining and agreed to seek legal advice on the matter. Our attorneys have advised us that filing a ULP could jeopardize and weaken our arbitration, which would be the best chance to lay out our case. So we will move forward with arbitration plus direct, targeted actions to fight and resolve this dispute.
The arbitration process involves picking an arbitrator, much like selecting a judge in a trial, from a panel of arbitrators. At this point in the process an arbitrator has been selected. The good news is we got the arbitrator that we wanted from the provided list, and we have worked with them before in situations like this. We were also able to schedule a hearing date with this arbitrator. The hearing date is set for June 24th, 2026 from 9 am – 5 pm. Our legal team will be working diligently to prepare for that date.
However, we are not going to stand by and wait for this lengthy process to play out. We can take action right now. We are starting to circulate a petition in February aimed to firmly and collectively state to both Cory Azzalino and EAZE’s new owner, Vireo Growth, Inc. that it is in everyone’s best interest to resolve this dispute without a costly and lengthy arbitration. We ask that you sign this petition as a first step to show the company that we are engaged and united in getting the raise in wages that we bargained for.
Yours in Solidarity,
EAZE Bargaining Committee and EAZE UFCW Bargaining Representatives
