Organized labor is feeling the impact of the economic downturn and needs to bolster its member ranks. The Teamster union is considering an industry that might be planting in America soon since it was injured by the economic downturn too. Marijuana is the industry that Teamsters hopes to use, says the Associated Press.
Teamsters working to get marijuana growers unionized
Teamsters got a lot of pot farmers as new members. About 40 new members were in this category. Many of the members are expected to be from California as it has one of the most permissive medical marijuana laws out of each state when that certain. Regardless, you will find real concerns as to how Teamsters will protect the rights of members whose work constitutes a federal crime.
Working with weed workers wasn’t what Lou Marchetti thought he’d be doing when he joined Teamsters 34 years ago. Marchetti works with newly signed growers in California and Teamsters local 70.
”This is a whole new ballgame,” he explained.
Marchetti was quite clear when he informed the news agency that Teamsters would not get involved with marijuana growers in California if they believed the business was not operating within the bounds of state law.
Teamsters has work with Marjyn Investments LLC
Gardening, trimming and even cloning are jobs held by employees of Marjyn Investments LLC, a business that contracts with medical marijuana patients to grow cannabis plants. The Teamsters Union works with contracts. They started the two year contract. They now have pensions, paid vacation and health care insurance. Teamsters Local 70 explains that in the next 15 months, wages will go from $18 to $25.75 per hour.
Growing pot issues to be resolved
Medical purposes are the only reason why states like California can get away with allowing marijuana plants to be grown. Otherwise, it is against federal law. Marchetti does not know what Teamsters would do if Marjyn Investments got the federal government on its case all the sudden. For that matter, the AP states that marijuana trimmers have an arduous job, and federal law would not step in on their behalf if trimmers happened to be subjected to abusive labor practices. The Teamster marijuana farmers aren’t even farm workers, claims Michael Leong who is the National Labor Relations Board assistant regional director in Oakland. If such is the case, they’d fall outside the jurisdiction of the NLRB.
Cultivation ‘in the shadows’ with growing Marijuana dispensaries
California has made it legal to have the business of cannabis dispensaries. Of course, no laws were added in regulating companies like Marjyn Investments LLC. Labor standards aren’t figured out for the area yet. Of course, numerous people look forward to working in that area eventually in the future. Numerous have been putting in applications to try and get ready to start for themselves. Of course, we know now that there isn’t any requirement of being in the Teamsters Union in order to get started.
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Associated Press
newser.com/article/d9ibmhtg0/us-teamsters-boost-membership-by-adding-medical-pot-growers-to-the-union-rolls.html
