Pharmacy employees at two CVS retail stores in Rhode Island, both open 24/7, have chosen to join a new national union called the Pharmacy Guild.
The workers at the stores in Wakefield and Westerly successfully voted for unionization on Friday. These stores are the first within CVS's founding state to become unionized.
Rhode Island CVS Workers Vote to Unionize
Pharmacy employees at the CVS stores in Wakefield and Westerly, Rhode Island, which operate 24 hours a day, have successfully won their union elections, becoming the first stores in CVS' founding state to do so, according to a union announcement.
This unionization follows closely on the heels of a CVS Omnicare pharmacy in Las Vegas - a non-customer-facing location - which joined the Pharmacy Guild last month, setting a precedent within the company.
The Pharmacy Guild, now representing these workers, will negotiate on their behalf with CVS.
Shane Jerominski, a community pharmacist and co-founder of the Guild, expressed a personal connection to the unionization efforts, telling CNBC, "These are the first brick-and-mortar classic CVS model stores to join the union. This is where my heart is... we've all worked for Walgreens or CVS in the classic retail setting, so we all know the working conditions there."
The union now represents nine of CVS's approximately 30,000 pharmacists in the U.S. While some 700 CVS pharmacists are already unionized under different groups, a CVS spokesperson highlighted the company's respect for its employees' rights to unionize or choose otherwise.
They noted that the successful union vote is the initial step in negotiations.
The spokesperson added that if the National Labor Relations Board confirms the election results, "we'll negotiate in good faith with the union to try to reach an agreement."
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They also affirmed CVS's commitment to maintaining "appropriate levels of staffing and resources" in its pharmacies, leveraging staffing, labor hours, workflow processes, and technology.
Jerominski and fellow organizers, who spearheaded a nationwide pharmacy staff walkout last fall, teamed up with IAM Healthcare-a union representing thousands of healthcare professionals-to establish The Pharmacy Guild in November.
The walkout affected major drugstore chains, including CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid. It captured widespread media attention and highlighted workers' concerns.
Push for Unionization in Retail Pharmacies Grows
Jerominski, a founding advocate of The Pharmacy Guild, is addressing concerns from U.S. pharmacy workers about short-staffing and high workloads, which they believe jeopardize patient safety.
Historically, retail pharmacy workers have lacked widespread unionization. Still, as Healthcare Brew reported, Jerominski is working to change this by helping these workers organize through The Pharmacy Guild.
The guild aims to advocate for adequate staffing and workload standards across retail pharmacies, ensuring pharmacists can provide proper care. This initiative extends beyond major chains like CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid, targeting all pharmacy workers concerned about patient safety due to staffing issues.
Jerominski also runs a social media account, The Accidental Pharmacist, to spotlight retail pharmacy challenges. This effort, combined with the #PizzaIsNotWorking movement and RXComedy, supports the guild's partnership with IAM Healthcare, representing 10,000 U.S. and Canadian healthcare workers.
Pharmacy workers can express their interest in unionizing via the guild's website. Jerominski aims to assist in organizing the most interested pharmacies, with plans for the first unionized stores under the guild by early 2024.
The guild also seeks to represent the specific needs of retail pharmacy workers and influence regulations within their practice settings.
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