Bill > SB5468

This bill establishes a comprehensive framework for collective bargaining rights for agricultural cannabis workers in Washington state. The legislation creates a new legal chapter that defines employees in the cannabis industry as those involved in cultivating, growing, harvesting, or producing cannabis, and provides them with the right to organize and negotiate with employers through labor organizations. The bill outlines detailed processes for forming bargaining units, conducting elections to select representatives, and establishing collective bargaining agreements, with the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) serving as the regulatory body to oversee these processes. Key provisions include protecting workers' rights to organize without interference, mandating employers to provide employee information to bargaining representatives, defining unfair labor practices for both employers and unions, and establishing mechanisms for resolving labor disputes through negotiation, arbitration, and potential commission intervention. The bill specifically applies to cannabis producers and processors licensed in Washington, with careful definitions to exclude supervisory personnel from the collective bargaining unit, and provides a structured approach to union formation, dues collection, contract negotiations, and dispute resolution that aims to balance the interests of workers and employers in the emerging cannabis agricultural sector.

Business and Industry

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=5468&Year=2025&Initiative=false