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By Don Jenkins, Capital Press

March 13, 2025

OLYMPIA — House Democrats passed a bill giving collective-bargaining rights to employees of cannabis growers, foreshadowing a push to unionize all farmworkers, Republicans warned.  

House Bill 1141 passed 55-40 March 11 and now goes to the Senate. The bill instructs courts to not interpret the bill as applying to other agricultural workers.  

Republicans said they doubt Democrats will wait long before seeking to extend the bill to all farmworkers. “We feel that if we pass this bill that we’re really going down the road of creating unionization in the agriculture industry,” said Rep. Suzanne Schmidt, R-Spokane Valley.   

The bill’s prime sponsor, Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, said in January no farmworker wants to work for their current wages. The only Democrat to oppose the bill was House Agriculture Committee Chairwoman Kristine Reeves of Federal Way. No Republican voted “yes.”  

Washington has 155 licensed cannabis growers and processors. The bill has the backing of the United Food and Commercial Union.  

Democrats defeated several Republican amendments, including one that would have required unions to hold secret-ballot elections to win the right to represent workers in contract talks. 

In floor speeches, Republicans looked past the bill’s limited scope. Rep. Mark Klicker, D-Walla Walla, said collective-bargaining for farmworkers will make profit-margins for farms even thinner.  

“We are at a time of crisis in farming,” he said. “I sold my orchard in 2015, and I’m so glad I did, unfortunately.”  

Rep. Mary Dye, R-Pomeroy, said she was offended by the bill characterizing employees of cannabis growers as agricultural workers. “It’s producing a psychotropic and addictive drug for people to use recreationally,” she said. “American farming families come from a very different perspective and belief system.”   

Washington’s law granting overtime pay to all farmworkers stemmed from a lawsuit against one dairy. The state Supreme Court ruled denying dairy workers a privilege enjoyed by other workers violated the state constitution. The Legislature soon applied the reasoning to all farmworkers.  

“It’s a very legitimate fear the bill could be extended to other agricultural workers in future years,” Worker and Farm Labor Association labor policy analyst Scott Dilley said.