MJBiz - September 2023 - 42

Labor
Relations
A Teamsters Joint Council 25 truck shows
support for striking workers outside a
marijuana store in Niles, Illinois.
Photo by Reilly Drew
" We as an industry and as individual
businesses are creating labor standards
right now. Those are store by store,
jurisdiction by jurisdiction, because
every community looks different. I
welcome access to an organization
that has spent decades advocating for
workers and learning through their
experience as we navigate an industry
that is still new, " Carpenter added.
LOBBYING FOR
ORGANIZED LABOR
In California and several other states
with regulated cannabis markets,
unions were involved in marijuanalegalization
movements and often
sat at the table with business leaders,
legislators and regulators as they
hammered out rules.
" As a result, (the union) played a
large role or has a strong fi ngerprint
on the structure " by which companies
can operate in the state, Carpenter
said. " Understanding that process
was critical to understanding how we
wanted to approach partnerships with
the union. Labor unions are quite
powerful in this state. "
42 September 2023 | MJBizMagazine
Because unions were at the rulemaking
table during many legalization
efforts, they succeeded in getting
lawmakers in several states and local
jurisdictions to require businesses to
sign so-called labor peace agreements
(LPAs), which give unions the right to
talk with employees about joining a
union without interference.
States with LPA requirements include
California, New Jersey, New York,
Rhode Island and Virginia; Illinois and
Pennsylvania don't require LPAs, but
they do give extra points to cannabis
license applicants that sign them.
Many industry observers expect
this trend to continue, meaning that
cannabis workers will continue to
unionize.
Given the weight that unions
already have in the cannabis industry,
businesses should consider ways they
can get the most out of a businessunion
relationship. For example,
unions can help cannabis businesses:
* Improve regulations.
* Break into new markets.
* Resolve disputes with employees.
* Train workers.
" We can weigh in with the full force
of our lobbying policy, our political
power, to focus on certain areas of the
regulations that we think we need to
happen, " Araby said.
BENEFITS OF UNION
MEMBERSHIP
Unions' expertise and clout in many parts
of the country mean they can effectively
lobby for or against regulations affecting
the cannabis industry.
For example, the UFCW worked with
Stiiizy, a unionized vape cartridge
maker in California, to help overturn
a vape ban passed in Contra Costa
County, Araby said.
Unions also can put in a good
word with government offi cials
in municipalities where cannabis
companies are trying to get licensed.
" We try to help these companies
grow into other markets-especially
if they are going to be a pro-labor
company. ... When they want to
move into a new town, we lobby for
them because they have a collectivebargaining
agreement, "
Araby said.

MJBiz - September 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of MJBiz - September 2023

MJBiz - September 2023 - CT1
MJBiz - September 2023 - CT2
MJBiz - September 2023 - Cover1
MJBiz - September 2023 - Cover2
MJBiz - September 2023 - 3
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