The NJ Assembly Labor Committee passed a bill protecting cannabis employees and their right to join a labor union.

The bill A 8142 is called “Concerns conditions of employment of certain cannabis workers”.

It passed with no testimony or speeches in its favor during a brief meeting.

It notes that cannabis employees are excluded from federal protection. So, they want to give them extra labor law protection in New Jersey.

Farm workers do not have the right to join a labor union under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) passed during the New Deal in the 1930s.

So, they want to protect licensed cultivation workers by stopping companies from interfering with the union voting process.

The bill passed the Assembly Oversight Committee in March.

It is sponsored by Assemblymembers Wayne De Angelo (D-14-Mercer) and Oversight Chair Reginald Atkins (D-20-Union).

Atkins, in his time in the Assembly he has been consistently pro-cannabis. However, he is not running for re-election in the fall.

The companion bill is S3139, is sponsored by State Senators Troy Singleton (D-7-Burlington) and James Beach (D-6-Camden). Joe Lagano (D-38-Bergen) and Vincent Polistina (R-2-Atlantic) are co-sponsors.

It has not passed any committees there.

The large Multi-State Operator (MSO), Columbia Care, was threatened with a temporary suspension of their license last week by the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJCRC) for their poor treatment of their workers and the union process.

Workers often organize a union when there are no other options.

The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) labor union has been at the forefront of the NJ cannabis industry, advocating for progress. They are pushing the bill.