Workforce doesn’t equate to the talent or skills needed to efficiently run the industry a union would be reliant on more of the skilled workers joining which probably wont happen because they already make good money
5 Likes
Exactly. More to the point, how many of these tasks require a truly skilled individual at every level? A single skilled worker can manage a team of low skilled workers, that generally are replaceable.
2 Likes
They wanted their pay checks right then and there which I thought was fair even though we had already issued the payroll checks and they were just slow getting there in the mail but it caused massive waves…
2 Likes
Yes and no I’ve had two people respond to my indeed ad looking for new hires both crazy overqualified but honestly when it comes to the lab side of things we are a select group and many are intimidated by the process
3 Likes
Isn’t this forum technically the union so to speak for the industry, we all advocate better wages & work environment through our own? We’re a majority of the ones with the talent being spoken of.
The way I look at it is if the company itself isn’t willing to research into better employees then their tek will always just be subpar & they’ll pay subpar.
5 Likes
Agreed the ones with talent either get paid enough to not actively push for high wages for other employees or realize you can make 5-10x as much running a clandestine lab in your garage
2 Likes
Maybe this is my perception, but I feel as though indeed may, somewhat by default, cater more to a higher skilled audience.
I could go on Facebook, post for a couple eager to learn, no violent record types, and get a dozen qualified applicants by tomorrow.
Whats qualified? Can you follow instructions, step by step?
I could teach an eager wook to do some of these scary processes, and I’m a fucking idiot.
3 Likes
Yeah Michigan isn’t much of a hunting ground either ive had several people move into the state but My best guys are the ones who come untouched and untainted by the industry and can just be built into extracting machines
7 Likes
You also have the loyal WOOKS that do both, take the low wage & tun their illegal or semi permitted labs out of home, which is stupid to me, why risk your processing abilities in the legal industry to make a quick buck on BM.
4 Likes
The temptation is real when you can grow 20 plants cycles and extract into 4-5 liters of extract worth more then you’ll make in a year working as a tech III
4 Likes
Am I naive in thinking it would be harder than that to offload such a product for a wook?
Wooks unload more products then i ever could on the BM its all about that trap life
7 Likes
If you’re looking I might consider MI… Never worked in an actual lab, but I can extract and I have done small scale distillation. Definitely have so much knowledge I don’t know what to do with it!
I mean, if I can make as much as I was going to make on my own for someone else I think I would do it… Like in a moments notice…
I think it will take long time before Unions will really be possible. The reason is because there are SO MANY people that would quit their job right this second to work in cannabis. Knowledge or not
2 Likes
When I hear union, I think of titles of Apprentice, Journeyman, and Master, and how those titles and their requisite skills sets are recognized across the industry. I think of training that rivals university training for the trade specific skills and knowledge.
Union work also comes with the benefit of top notch safety standards. Benefit packages, and retirement built into the wages are standard, as well as an amount that covers union dues. Wages are clearly defined for each skill level for the local area, with regular yearly increases to account for inflation.
I think those aspects of unionization would help tons of people. Collective bargaining could possibly be used as leverage to prevent a big pharma/tobacco/alcohol takeover of the industry.
No better time to start than the present! I’d be more than happy to become of the first union apprentices. 
Others with more experience would obviously have to have a way to certify them as Journeymen and Masters based on their experience. This place is filled with Journeymen, and quite a few masters as well. Let’s make this happen!
9 Likes
I’d just like to make sure everyone knows that the first cannabis union already exists.
So we dont have to speculate on what they look like or how they operate.
I think anytime theres massive pay equity and benefit issues that collecting tive bargaining can help.
Cannabis is rife with this environment, like most business in the US. It might not be needed in small shops but in these huge multistate operators that cant handle safety, decent wages, any benefits etc… but insist on massive expansion…
Unions can help with all kinds of stuff. Remember when the farmers all unionized? Or when unions lobbied to get a 5 day 40 hour work week? Who knows what would happen if we all united behind common causes to improve every workers life, even the unskilled worker looking to learn.
5 Likes
This^^^ There really should be delineations like that in the cannabis extraction industry, or lab work. It should definitely be looked at like this, and the training should be on par with unions because you’re using flammable hydrocarbons, solvents, etc. Serious safety issues for the wooks that don’t know, or just don’t care. Training should become more in line with this thought above
5 Likes
Would almost need a union stimmy for those in need during strike time
5 Likes
Call it The expendable 42fund
1 Like
If you make it…
Custies will come…
*Unless you are selling boof
6 Likes
I do not agree that cannabis industry needs a union, or one would be successful. There is a limited supply of jobs available and excess of eager workers. I don’t really see what the point would be either. I think, from what I have seen , pay is pretty average dependent on skill level and position compared to other industries. I know, for example, that our local nursery pays about the same as a starter job at a grow op in my area. I don’t see why someone mixing nutes and watering plants should get more than they do down the road at a non marijuana facility.