Oregon voters have one more decision to make in November: whether to give cannabis workers an easier path to joining a union.
The Oregon Secretary of State’s office on Thursday confirmed that a proposed measure that would block cannabis retailers and processors from opposing employee unions has enough signatures to officially become Ballot Measure 119.
The idea has been pushed relentlessly in recent years by United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555, the state’s largest private sector union, which spent more than $2.4 million collecting signatures to qualify for the ballot. Elections officials determined that roughly 80% of the 156,533 signatures UFCW turned in were valid; that’s more than enough to clear the 117,173 hurdles required to move forward.
That means the union is gearing up to spend even more selling voters on an idea critics believe will lead to lawsuits.
Under the proposed measure, owners of cannabis retail and processing businesses would be required to sign a “labor peace agreement” with a union in order to get a state license. Under such an agreement, management would agree to remain neutral if employees take steps to unionize.
Dan Clay, president of UFCW Local 555, prepares to submit boxes of signatures to state elections officials on July 5, 2024. The union is hoping to qualify a ballot measure that would help cannabis workers unionize.
Courtesy UFCW Local 555
UFCW attempted to convince state legislators to pass a similar policy last year, but came up short when key lawmakers raised concerns the proposal might run afoul of federal labor law. In response, the union spent more than $300,000 in an unsuccessful attempt to recall a powerful House Democrat, state Rep. Paul Holvey of Eugene, for his role in the bill’s demise.
The union argues that its proposal would merely bring protections for cannabis workers in Oregon in line with those adopted by states like California and New York. But business interests say the proposal is bound to lead to lawsuits if adopted.
Oregon Business & Industry, the state’s largest business lobbying group, opposed the idea when it was in front of lawmakers, writing it was “almost certain to be the subject of litigation in Oregon because it is likely preempted by the National Labor Relations Act.”
OBI has declined to say whether it plans to campaign against the measure. UFCW, meanwhile, is projecting confidence.
“We’ve done polling on it several times,” said Michael Selvaggio, the union’s political director. “It’s on track to pass.”
The cannabis proposal is the fifth and final statewide measure that Oregon voters can expect to see when ballots in the Nov. 5 election arrive this fall. Also up for consideration are three measures referred by lawmakers next year. They would: give lawmakers impeachment power over the governor and other statewide electeds (Measure 115), create a new commission to set salaries for elected officials (Measure 116) and require “ranked-choice” voting in electing federal and statewide officials (Measure 117).
The most hotly contested measure this year is likely to be Measure 118, the so-called “Oregon rebate,” a proposal to hike taxes on businesses with sales of more than $25 million a year and to divvy up the proceeds among Oregonians.
The idea has been panned by business groups and state officials like Gov. Tina Kotek and is expected to lead to a hugely expensive fight.