Dan Rush
Dan Rush | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 22, 1960 |
| Occupation(s) | Founder and National Director, United Food and Commercial Workers, Medical Cannabis and Hemp Division[1] |
Dan Rush is an American union organizer and former statewide political and special operations director of the United Food and Commercial Workers for cannabis and hemp worker.[2] He is known for being a leader in the United States Labor movement in politics and for cannabis and hemp industry workers, and a civil and motorcycle rights activist.[3][4] Rush began his career in the union in the 1980s as a senior official responsible for carrying out statewide ballot industry politics and eventually founded the concept of organizing medical cannabis and hemp workers in the United States and Canada.[5] He was later investigated by the FBI for allegedly breaching union discipline in 2015, by influencing unions’ decisions for bribes from cannabis and hemp industry stakeholders.[6][7][8]
Career
He was born in Oakland, California. He has a high school diploma from the Dewey Continuation High School in Oakland CA. He was a known as a Democratic Party reformer[9] and in his elected position as 15th Assembly District executive board member for much of his career, beginning his term as a Political Director at the UFCW Local 120 from 1991 to 2006.[10] He was put in charge as a statewide special operations director inside of the union’s Political Department and then founding and developing UFCW Local 5's medical cannabis and hemp workers in 2007.[11][12][13] In 2011, he was named national director of medical cannabis and hemp division for the UFCW International Union.[14] In September 2013, he was summoned from the Bay area to Washington DC, to serve as the director of cannabis workers rising of the North America campaign of the UFCW.[15]
Controversy
In September 2013, he was named as the director for cannabis workers rising of the North America campaign to organize the medical cannabis in the North America.[16] In August 2015, he was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the corruption charges for using his influence to favor Oakland cannabis business people in order to pay off a loan.[6][7][17] Rush is scheduled to go to trial in January 2017.[5]
References
- ^ "Union Organizer Indicted for Corruption, Attempted Extortion, and Money Laundering". FBI. 17 September 2015.
- ^ Peter Hecht (3 October 2010). "Growth of California's pot industry is good news for unions". Mcclatchydc.com.
- ^ John Hoeffel (22 September 2010). "California's largest labor union backs pot legalization initiative". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Chris Harland (10 November 2015). "Will unionizing the cannabis industry bud in Oakland?". Oakland North.
- ^ a b Chris Roberts (21 July 2016). "Former Cannabis Union Honcho: Feds Took Me Out". CannabisNow.
- ^ a b David Downs (24 September 2015). "Pot Union Organizer Dan Rush Pleads Not Guilty to Corruption, Attempted Extortion, and Money Laundering". East Bay Express.
- ^ a b "Union Organizer Indicted For Corruption, Attempted Extortion, And Money Laundering". United States Department of Justice. 17 September 2015.
- ^ Romain Bonilla (14 August 2015). "Marijuana Union Organizer Wanted by FBI on Corruption Charges". Marijuanapolitics.com.
- ^ Ari Berman (2 September 2010). "Just Say Now". Oakland North.
- ^ "Program: Speakers". Deepgreenfest.com.
- ^ "UFCW Local 5 Statement on the Indictment of Dan Rush". UFCW Local 5. 15 August 2015.
- ^ Steve Elliott (28 May 2010). "California Medical Marijuana Workers Form Union". Tokeofthetown.com.
- ^ "Union endorses initiative to legalize marijuana in California". Los Angeles Times. 14 July 2010.
- ^ "After cannabis school raid, big turnout expected at S.F. protest". Los Angeles Times. 2 April 2012.
- ^ "CCPR Board of Directors". Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform.
- ^ David Downs (18 August 2015). "Indicted Pot Union Ex-Official Dan Rush Says He Will Be Vindicated". East Bay Express.
- ^ Laurel Bard, Maya Eliahou and Emma Soldon (24 September 2015). "Berkeley Medical Cannabis Commission member arraigned for extortion, taking bribes". The Daily Californian.