UFCW Local 152 staff attended a Brick Township, NJ council meeting on Tuesday, February 26th to voice support on behalf of the cannabis industry in the city. The meeting was later reported by multiple news agencies, three of which mentioned UFCW Local 152 Union Representative Hugh Giordano.

First, from app.com:

The council heard more than an hour of comments from members of the public who argued over the potential for marijuana to spur new jobs and bring new revenue into town.

Hugh Giordano, a union representative for United Food & Commercial Works Local 152, which represents legalized cannabis industry workers, said the ban would kill prospective jobs.

“I find this ordinance to be an attack on the working class, an attack on our labor union, and an attack on good jobs,” he told the Township Council. “These are jobs that create a new income and a new economy.” Read the full article on app.com website.

Next, from Brick Shorebeat:

The most ardent opposition [of the ban] came from Hugh Giordano, a representative from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union.

“I consider this ordinance to be an attack on the working class, on our labor union, and on good jobs,” Giordano said. “These are jobs that create a new economy for Brick, for New Jersey and the country. Keeping it banned in this township will only increase the black market.”

Union custodians at cannabis facilities earn $18 per hour, bud tenders and technicians earn $21 per hour and lead growers are paid up to $2,100 per week. The industry, Giordano said, includes both blue collar and white collar positions. Having a dispensary in town could limit the reach of the black market, he argued.

“We don’t see Teamsters out there giving out Budweiser to kids, do we?” he said. “No, because they have good jobs and are well-trained.” Read the full article on brick.shorebeat.com.

Finally, from Jersey Shore Online:

United Food and Commercial Workers Union #152 representative Hugh Giordano said the union has 1.3 million members in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico who work in supermarkets, manufacturing, warehousing, truck driving and in the adult medical use cannabis industry, which has thousands of workers, he said.

“I find this ordinance to be an attack on the working class, an attack on our labor union and an attack on good jobs,” he said. Giordano said that an estimated 1 million new jobs with full benefits would be created across the U.S. as a result of the legalization of marijuana.

“These are jobs that create a new income and a new economy for Brick, for New Jersey, and for the whole country,” he said.

He said keeping the drug banned in Brick Township would only increase the black market. “Could people drive to other places and get it? Of course you could, but the drug dealer is right here, right now, and they’re not just pushing cannabis, they’re pushing other drugs, heroin and pills, to our children,” Giordano said. “The only way to get these people off the street is to do it in a legal manner and to regulate it.” Read the full article on their website.

Commitment

UFCW Local 152 is not new to fighting on behalf of the cannabis industry in multiple cities around the Garden State.

In fact, on a national level, the United Food and Commercial Workers represent workers in both medical and recreational cannabis-related industries. UFCW Local 152 is firmly committed to standing with cannabis workers in our area to not only create good jobs, but to also represent them so that their employers pay good wages, provide good benefits, and give fair treatment in a safe work environment. Discover more about our Cannabis Campaign in the area and our efforts to support workers in the industry.

If you work in the Cannabis industry and want to join UFCW Local 152, please contact Hugh Giordano at 609-680-5718 or contact us via our Union Interest form.