Big labour sees potential in California pot workers
Unions have caught a whiff of a rare opportunity to organize a whole new set of workers as recreational marijuana becomes legal in California.
The United Farm Workers, Teamsters and United Food and Commercial Workers are looking to unionize the tens of thousands of potential workers involved in the legal weed game, from planters to rollers to sellers. The move could provide a boost to organized labour’s lagging membership - if infighting doesn’t get in the way.
The United Farm Workers, cofounded by iconic labour leader Cesar Chavez, says organizing an industry rooted in agriculture is a natural fit, and growers could label their products with the union’s logo as a marketing strategy.
“If you’re a cannabis worker, the UFW wants to talk with you,” national vice-president Armando Elenes said.
But United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents grocery store employees, meat packers and retail workers, registered its intent to organize cannabis workers across the country.
“We would hope they respect our jurisdiction,” UFCW spokesman Jeff Ferro said.
Teamsters organizer Kristin Heidelbach said there’s no need
for unions to battle each other. There will be plenty of workers needing representation as small cannabis businesses run by “happy stoner” types give way to large pharmaceutical corporations, she said.
The green rush that begins in 2018 is an opportunity for unions
to regain influence that began declining in the late 1950s, said David Zonderman, a professor of labour history at North Carolina State University. But discord between unions could upend it. As could resistance from cannabis business leaders.
“Are they going to be new-age
and cool with it,” Zonderman said, “or like other businesspeople, say, ‘Heck, no. We’re going to fight them tooth and nail?”’
Last year, California voters approved sales of recreational marijuana to those 21 and older at licensed shops beginning Jan. 1.