UFCW Local 152 staff attended a New Jersey Assembly meeting on Monday, May 13th to voice support to further expand medical cannabis legislation in the state, and included the following: expand the number of shops for patients to access medical cannabis (currently they must register at just a single dispensary), increase the maximum amount of medical cannabis that can be dispensed to a patient, add additional qualifying medical conditions, and create legal protection for medical cannabis patients.

The meeting was later reported in an article from Cannabis Wire, and UFCW Local 152 staff were mentioned:

Hugh Giordano testified as a representative of the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union. 

“I want to comment on the labor [peace] and the neutrality agreements that are going to be put into the expansion of medical and hopefully the future of adult use,” Giordano said. UFCW represents cannabis workers in some United States and Canada jurisdictions. “It’s important for workers within cannabis to have a labor voice and have a union voice because this is a federally unregulated industry.” 

Giordano continued, “Most of these workers have a four-year or longer degree in horticulture or chemistry or science. And just like any other trade — carpenters, iron workers — they should have the same wages and protections and guarantee that they can retire with dignity.”

Read the full article on the Cannabis Wire website.

There is also a video recording of the meeting on the New Jersey Legislature website, which shows Hugh Giordano speaking around the 14:10 minute mark.

Commitment

UFCW Local 152 is not new to fighting on behalf of the cannabis industry up and down the Garden State.

On a national level, the United Food and Commercial Workers represent workers in both medical and recreational cannabis-related industries. UFCW Local 152 is 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, good benefits, and fair treatment in a safe work environment. Discover more about the Cannabis Campaign in our 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.