If New York State moves to legalize recreational marijuana in 2019, one labor advocate wants to see cannabis workers unionized.
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) hopes to fold the "many thousands of workers" who will be involved in New York's purported legal cannabis industry into their ranks. And based on the size of that prospective workforce, unionizing the industry could add a lot of muscle to the labor movement in New York.
"It's going to be big," RWDSU president Stuart Appelbaum told New York Post, adding that his organization will ensure that employees in the new industry are treated right. "We think the best way to create decent jobs is through unionization."