The first group of Walgreens employees are seeking to join a new national union of retail pharmacy professionals, MedPage Today reported Aug. 12.
Ten pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at a Walgreens location in Vancouver, Wash., have filed to join the Pharmacy Guild, part of the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers.
Pharmacists employed by Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid have traditionally not unionized. The Pharmacy Guild was formed after a string of walkouts by retail pharmacy workers across the U.S. last year who voiced concerns about heavy workloads and inadequate staffing. CVS employees in Las Vegas became the first group to join the union in April, followed by staff members at two retail locations in Rhode Island in May.
Walgreens said it has taken numerous actions to improve working conditions for its employees, including redirecting many administrative tasks and using local micro-fulfillment centers to help fill prescriptions.
"We respect the right of our team members to choose to be represented by a union, but we continue to believe the best way to maintain a positive environment is through the direct relationship between our team members and their managers, who are striving every day to achieve our shared purpose of serving our communities and reimagining local healthcare," a Walgreens spokesperson told Becker's Aug. 15. "We are fully committed to ensuring our team members' contributions are acknowledged and rewarded, including with competitive pay and benefits."
CVS offered a similar stance in comments shared with MedPage today in April after the Las Vegas vote.
"While we believe the direct, two-way relationship we have with our colleagues is the best way to resolve workplace concerns, we have professional and productive relationships with our thousands of union employees and their union representatives," a spokesperson told the publication. "We'll continue to work closely and collaboratively with all our colleagues to address any concerns they have now and in the future and are committed to providing a positive and rewarding work environment."