LOCAL 1932 INTRODUCES CANNABIS CULTIVATION TRAINING PROGRAM
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APRIL 21, 2022 — Teamsters Local 1932, a labor union of over 14,000 members across Southern California’s Inland Empire region, has announced the availability of twenty scholarships for a new cannabis cultivation training certification program based out of the union’s new training center in San Bernardino.
In 2021, cannabis cultivation workers at Tikun in Adelanto, CA, organized to join the Teamsters union, becoming the first unionized cannabis cultivation workforce in Southern California. The same year, the Teamsters union committed $1.5 million to support legislative efforts to improve the cannabis workforce issues and cannabis rescheduling. The training certification program scholarships align with the union’s goal of raising standards across the cannabis industry.
“This union is bringing together cannabis workers to improve this industry and is also creating pathways for workers to advance in the industry with education and certification,” says Randy Korgan, Teamsters Local 1932 Secretary-Treasurer. “With a trained workforce, and our initiatives to involve union members in political action that will help this industry and its workers thrive, there are brighter days ahead for the industry.”
The cannabis cultivation training certification program is a five-week course covering topics specifically designed to prepare growers for successful harvests. Future courses are planned for manufacturing and retail work. The program also prominently features seminars from the Agricultural Labor Relations Board and experts on Occupational Safety and Health Administration policies to ensure that workers can build their knowledge on safety and their rights at work. As the first unionized workforce in Southern California, Tikun of Adelanto will be utilizing the cannabis cultivation training certification program for a new apprenticeship pathway, which includes hands-on experience.
The City of Adelanto is exploring initiatives to help support certification and training for local residents, with the help of the Teamsters 1932 Training Center. “The City of Adelanto will have the premier cannabis workforce. We look forward to providing our residents the opportunity to achieve their certification in this growing industry with the help of Teamsters Local 1932,” says Adelanto Mayor Gabriel Reyes. “Our goal is to be known as the Mecca of the cannabis industry, and to be that, we need to have a trained workforce that can produce premier craftsmanship.”
The cannabis industry employed 415,000 full-time workers across the country in 2021, an increase of about 30% from 2020, according to industry news published MJBizDaily. By increasing the availability of training and certification to workers in Southern California, Teamsters Local 1932 aims to offer current members and prospective members a way to improve their employer’s crops and further professionalize the industry’s cultivation workforce. Existing training programs hosted by Teamsters Local 1932 come from partnerships with high-road employers who want to reduce employee turnover and increase industry capacity with trained workers.
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