UFCW urges repeal of Measure 119 to avoid federal litigation; union still seeks workplace protections
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Summary
At a public hearing, Mike Salvaggio of UFCW Local 555 urged repeal of Measure 119 via House Bill 41‑62 to 'moot' federal litigation and prevent the issue from being decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, while reaffirming the union's commitment to worker protections in the cannabis industry.
Mike Salvaggio, political director for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 555, testified at the Senate Rules Committee public hearing on Feb. 23 in favor of House Bill 41‑62, which would repeal Measure 119 (2024) that requires certain OLCC licensees to enter labor peace agreements as a condition of licensure.
Salvaggio said the union previously supported Measure 119 but now urges repeal to avoid the risk that federal litigation could be used to erode a broader set of worker protections. "We do not want to see the fruit of our efforts weaponized," he told the committee, and said the union's position is driven by concerns about how the issue might be framed before the current U.S. Supreme Court and federal administration.
He emphasized that this request is not an abandonment of the policy goal: the union still supports clear workplace protections for thousands of workers in Oregon's cannabis industry and said it is "eager to work with the lawmakers who have committed to continue in this effort," but prefers pursuing those protections through legislation rather than leaving Measure 119 exposed to national litigation risk.
The committee took Salvaggio's testimony for the record. No committee vote or further action on HB 41‑62 was recorded in the hearing transcript before adjournment.
