Rules Committee recommends UFCW organizer for Cannabis Oversight Committee seat

The Rules Committee voted Oct. 4, 2021, to recommend Ryan McGilly, a representative and organizer with UFCW Local 5, to fill seat 10 on the Cannabis Oversight Committee, a position reserved for a labor representative working with the cannabis business workforce.

Chair Supervisor Aaron Peskin introduced two applicants for the seat: Brian Kramer, who described work creating apprenticeship programs for cannabis growers, and Ryan McGilly, who said he represents more than 100 cannabis workers in San Francisco as an organizer for UFCW Local 5. Peskin and other supervisors noted that the seat's prior holder was affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers and that UFCW represents a large share of industry workers.

Supervisor Connie Chan moved the committee recommendation for McGilly and the motion passed without objection. The committee's recommendation will be forwarded as a committee report to the full Board of Supervisors for final confirmation.

Why it matters: Seat 10 must be occupied by a labor representative familiar with cannabis-sector workforce issues. Committee members said they favored a candidate aligned with the union that currently represents many local cannabis workers.

Next steps: The full Board of Supervisors will consider the committee's recommendation; the committee did not record a formal vote by the full Board at this meeting.