Highlights;
- NLRB removes UFCW Local 655 as exclusive representative for Shangri-La dispensary workers after a decertification effort led by Travis Hierholzer.
- Workers, aided by the National Right to Work Foundation, petitioned for an election to remove the union, with nearly all signing in support.
- UFCW withdrew before the election to avoid a potential overwhelming vote against them, disclaiming their status.
- Decertification means UFCW can no longer impose forced-dues requirements in Missouri, a non-Right to Work state.
- The National Right to Work Foundation provided free legal aid to help workers exercise their rights and remove unwanted union representation.
[Press Release] – Columbia, Mo., Sept. 2, 2025
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued an official order removing United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 655 as the exclusive representative of a unit of Shangri-La dispensary workers. This decision finalizes the workers’ successful legal effort to remove UFCW union officials from their workplace.
The case began when Travis Hierholzer, with free legal assistance from National Right to Work Foundation staff attorneys, filed a petition with the NLRB requesting a decertification election to remove UFCW union bosses at his workplace. Hierholzer’s petition garnered signatures from nearly all of his fellow workers at the dispensary. This triggered an election process to determine whether UFCW would continue as the exclusive representative of the dispensary’s employees.
The NLRB, the federal agency responsible for enforcing labor law and resolving disputes between employers, unions, and individual workers, allows employees to initiate an election if a petition collects signatures from at least 30% of the workforce.
The election was nearly scheduled to take place in September among full-time and regular part-time patient consultants, patient consultant supervisors, and inventory specialists at the Columbia, Mo., dispensary. However, UFCW union officials chose not to proceed with the election. Instead, they opted to “disclaim” their status as the dispensary’s representative, likely to avoid the embarrassment of a nearly unanimous vote against them.
Missouri is one of 24 states without Right to Work protections, meaning workers like Hierholzer and his coworkers could have been forced to pay union dues or fees to UFCW officials or face termination. With the union now officially decertified, UFCW officials no longer have the authority to impose forced-dues requirements on the employees.
“Workers across the country, especially in states where union bosses can compel them to pay dues or risk losing their jobs, are increasingly exercising their legal right to shed unwanted union representation,” said Mark Mix, president of the National Right to Work Foundation. “The National Right to Work Foundation will continue to support American workers nationwide by providing free legal aid to defend their rights and eliminate unwelcome union bosses from their workplaces.”
This decision marks a significant victory for the dispensary workers and sets a precedent for others seeking to remove union representation in non-Right to Work states.
