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Employees in California’s huge marijuana industry are starting to join unions. One hundred employees in Oakland pot shops – including Oaksterdam University and Blue Sky Coffee Shop, the establishments of California cannabis initiative lead Richard Lee – will announce tomorrow they will join the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). The workers all signed cards and will have their union recognized under majority sign-up.
The LA Times reports:
Workers at three medical marijuana businesses in Oakland will announce Friday that they have unionized, another step in a concerted campaign aimed at bringing legitimacy to a once-hidden sector of the state’s economy and boosting the marijuana-legalization initiative.
Union representatives and the business owners believe it is the first time that workers in the nation’s growing medical marijuana industry have joined a union.
Employees at dispensaries are the most obvious source of organizing opportunities, but the industry itself has many different angles ripe for organizing. From growers to farmers, distributors to dispensaries, thousands of people work in every aspect of the marijuana industry from seed to smoke. UFCW is ahead of the curve in planting seeds in the industry if marijuana does become legal in California.
It’s clear though, as the Times reports, that Lee’s employees forming a unionis part of a courtship of both the UFCW and the powerful California Labor Federation ahead of November’s election.
Lee is also hoping that the local, which has about 26,000 members in the state, can help win the initiative an endorsement from the California Labor Federation. “They have a lot of political muscle,” he said.
That would be a coup, said Jack Pitney, a government professor at Claremont McKenna College.
“It would be a huge difference because unions have boots on the ground,” he said. “The question is whether this is actually going to be a major priority for organized labor at a time when the state has over 12% unemployment.”
I have my doubts if California Labor would put “boots on the ground” for legalization, but it would be quite effective if it did turn out. In addition to the alliance with UFCW, marijuana legalization advocates already have an ally in AFT national president Randi Weingarten.
Either way, it’s very encouraging to have marijuana industry employees exercise their rights to join a union without interference from their employers.
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tis good news michael — i hope big labor steps up
Wow, this is very exciting.
It’s a Michael Whitney convergence, or something.
Keep it up.
I shouldn’t,,, but
Isn’t this going to be a bit like
herding catsGathering SmokeThis legalization ballot measure will be a tough campaign but an important one.
The labor unions will not put boots on the ground for legalization.
This is B.S.
UFCW will get some new members. For awhile. Maybe.
Have the results of the FDL legalization campaign naming contest come in?
Where’s Jane?
Tough? I called this months ago. I keep saying it, the legalizing Gay Marriage was written so POORLY that anybody with half a brain could have been confused and wanted to vote for supporting Gay Marriage but marked the wrong box.
Without any official push it polls in the mid to high 50% range and this will be a Generation Gap issue, those from the 60′s should not vote against it largely especially if they used pot in the past. But as many people age their views turn Conservative in many cases, so while they might have supported it in their 20′s, in their 60′s it seems like aiding the drug industry, while not recognizing the failure of the “War On Drugs”.
So the issue isn’t so much about making pot legal, taxing it, giving it legitimacy; its more about which side of the culture debate are you on -
Are you for the continuation of the “War On Drugs” and the Millions of Dollars the States spends, Law Enforcement Resources and Federal Dollars spent on it?
Or
Are you for changing direction in how drugs are viewed in this country. Focusing on the issues surrounding abuse, treatment and decriminalization of most drugs.
The Federal Government and DEA might try and fight it, but so what and I really don’t think the Obama Administration wants to have a policy debate about another State Law that’s largely like I said argument more about Generational views about drugs than if its actually criminal to own and consume drugs.
America’s “Talibanistic” tenancies are indeed a rancid manifestation of the hypocrisy while embracing “the blindfold of fear!” This prohibition is predicated on ignorance and the ignorance of policy makers who have more in common with the Taliban than a thinking Americans! For those who consume and abuse alcohol while “vilifying” the use of cannabis, cast not a stone, for you are a drug addict probably in a greater state of servitude than you are willing to admit. Legalize It! Regulate It! Trade It and Tax it!!!
Consistency, in thought and action is desirable, opposed to just another “loser’s mentality.” Beside, “Black men who smoke marijuana do nor rape white Women!” It is a lie. However we sure as hell know what a “drunken Daddy,” or a “drunken pedophile Priest” can do, don.t we!!
Hangin’ with Mary…
OMG I am so jealous: a union job growing/dispensing pot?! Can’t wait for Washington state’s laws to catch up with sanity.
I want my THC! And I want it without the fear of a goon squad busting down my door, maybe shooting someone, seizing my house, etc.
The pot biz in CA is clearly surging past and around the govt prohibition industrial complex, at last. Bout FARKIN time.
Of course, in the way of all things, will the pot biz will eventually become an industrial complex itself, full of assholes and corruption? Sure, prolly. But at worst we’ll have fewer fatal drunk driving crashes.
Next I’d like to see cannabis take on the energy giants and win. That’s right, Big Oil.
Scarecrow is upstairs!
Iz R Gummit Learning? Obama Meets Alan Greenspan, And Nobody Notices
I was at the Blue Sky today when the local TV camera and reporter came in to do a story. That is always exciting.
I could have been interviewed if I wanted too, but I skipped it. Maybe next time.
I told her I wanted to have some make-up on, but really what I want is a studio setting, lighting, hair, make up, a friendly interviewer, really interesting topic and practice.
It is EASY for me to come off looking like a total fool or idiot, but it was still exciting. I got her card. I’ve gotten to the point where when I meet reporters, they want to interview me, that is a big, big improvement. Telling her the TEA Party was my idea helped. That catches their attention.
Okay, maybe this has been mentioned before, but I just watched the highly entertaining It’s Complicated tonight, and it contains what is essentially a 10-minute, very compelling advertisement for the joys of pot smoking (or smot poking, as the case may be). When Meryl Streep, Alec Baldwin, and Steve Martin, in their 50s and 60s, can so blithely & mirthfully partake, the ramparts must be soon to fall….