A New York proposal that would remove marijuana labor peace agreement requirements from state licensing laws and replace them with new pay reporting rules and a Cannabis Industry Wage Board has advanced in the Assembly.
Assembly Bill 11562, filed by Assemblymember Harry Bronson (D), was approved by the Assembly Ways and Means Committee on June 3 and sent to the Assembly Rules Committee, moving the measure closer to a potential floor vote. The bill was introduced June 1 and is part of a bicameral effort, with a Senate companion filed by State Senator Jessica Ramos (D).
The legislation would amend New York’s Cannabis Law and Labor Law to remove several provisions tying labor peace agreements to marijuana business licensing, registration and certification. Under current law, certain marijuana businesses must maintain a labor peace agreement with a bona fide labor organization as an ongoing condition of licensure.
The bill would remove that requirement, while also eliminating provisions allowing regulators to deny renewal, suspend or terminate a registration because of a labor peace agreement violation or termination.
In place of those requirements, applicants and renewal applicants would need to submit information to the Cannabis Control Board detailing their full ownership structure, any management service agreements and the ownership structure of the company providing those services.
The measure would also require public reporting through the Office of Cannabis Management’s website, including salary or hourly pay ranges for each job title and the average number of hours scheduled or offered for each position.
The proposal would create a three-member Cannabis Industry Wage Board within the state Department of Labor. The board would include one representative of the licensed marijuana industry, one representative from the New York State AFL-CIO and one public member appointed by the labor commissioner to serve as chair.
The board would be required to hold its first hearing by March 1, 2027, followed by at least three public hearings. By Dec. 31, 2027, it would need to submit recommendations to the governor and Legislature on minimum hourly wages for workers in cultivation, processing and packaging, distribution, retail and delivery.
Most of the bill would take effect immediately if signed into law, while the pay reporting and wage board provisions would take effect Jan. 31, 2027.
