UNIONS SEE OPPORTUNITIES IN MARIJUANA INDUSTRY, BALLOT MEASURE

California's marijuana movement is picking up the union
label.

Last month, the United Food and Commercial Workers, Local 5, in
Oakland announced that it would represent 100 employees working in
local medical cannabis industries. Now Communications Workers of
America Local 9415, which represents 1,800 members in California,
Nevada and Hawaii, is endorsing the November initiative to legalize
marijuana for recreational use in California and allow local
communities to tax and regulate pot sales.

In an campaign statement for initiative proponents, the union said it
was backing the measure to help save public sector jobs through taxes
on legalized pot.

In an interview, Local 9415 executive vice-president Christina Huggins
said unions also see opportunities for new jobs and members in a
California marijuana market expanded beyond current legal medical use.

"There's a potential for a lot of jobs," Huggins said. "When beer and
alcohol was legalized, those were unionized jobs. We feel the people
working in the upcoming industry should have good benefits and good
pay and justice on the job."

Public Safety First, the campaign committee for legalization
opponents, has support from law enforcement groups including the
California Peace Officers Association, the California District
Attorneys Association and the California Narcotics Officers
Association. The "no" campaign is also backed by the California Bus
Association and the CoachAmerica bus service