Sacramento, CA – Today, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Western States Council announced the appointment of Kristin Heidelbach as the council’s new legislative director. Kristin joins UFCW Western States Council’s women-led team, including Executive Director Amber Parrish. Heidelbach started her new role on Monday, January 6, 2025.
“As Legislative Director, I look forward to continuing to fight to ensure California’s workers come first in policy decisions,” said Heidelbach. “UFCW’s members have considerable experience and insights that need to be heard in Sacramento on crucial issues like working conditions, job quality and corporate monopolies, and their voices are oftentimes overlooked. I’m grateful for the opportunity to lead Western States Council’s powerhouse team with Amber Parrish to make sure California’s legislature, the Administration, and statewide regulatory bodies listen and learn from the insights workers and working families bring to the table, and that California jobs provide living wages, the training and education workers need, and the dignity and respect workers deserve.”
Previously, Heidelbach has been the Cannabis Workforce Development and Legislative Advocate for the UFCW Western States Council since 2022. Before that position, she spent six years serving as an International Representative and California Cannabis Division Director for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters where she worked closely with the cannabis industry and city, county and state elected officials on labor concerns, policy and regulations and interfaced with federal cannabis stakeholders to ensure workers had a seat at the table. Kristin also served for four years as the Vice Chair of the California Cannabis Advisory Committee, and was listed in the 2019 Green Market Report Top Women in Weed. Kristin has a degree in Social Work from California State University Sacramento.
“I’m proud to fight alongside Kristin to better UFCW members and California’s working families,” said Amber Parrish, executive director, UFCW Western States Council. “Her strong voice and passionate heart make her a powerful advocate for people who often don’t think they have a voice in Sacramento. I know Kristin will continue to ensure UFCW members are lifted up and their futures are bright in her new role with the council.”
Heidelbach replaces Jaskiran (Jassy) Grewal who has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Legislation at the Labor and Workforce Development Agency. Grewal has been Legislative Director at the UFCW Western States Council since 2020.
# # #
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2025
Contact: Jenna Thompson, 949.246.1620, [email protected]