Pharmacy workers at two CVS locations in Rhode Island have filed to unionize. The news comes less than a month after about 30 pharmacists and pharmacy technicians at a Las Vegas CVS Omnicare were the first in the industry to seek unionization.
The workers are seeking to unionize with the Pharmacy Guild, a new trade union created by the organizers of a small-scale, three-day walkout (dubbed 'pharmageddon') among CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid employees late last year in which they protested understaffing and heavy workloads. It is the only union that represents pharmacy professionals across employers.
It's unclear how many pharmacy workers at two CVS pharmacies in Westerly, R.I., and South Kingston, R.I., filed to unionize, according to an April 16 report from The Boston Globe, which received a news release on the matter from the Guild.
A CVS spokesperson told the Globe the company has invested about $1 billion in wage increases since 2021 and that it plans to award tens of millions in bonuses this year to "recognize and thank our pharmacists and pharmacy technicians."
When workers at the Las Vegas Omnicare location filed to unionize in late March, a CVS spokesperson told Becker's the company respects "our employees' right to either unionize or refrain from doing so."
"We believe the direct, two-way relationship we have with our colleagues is the best way to resolve workplace concerns," the spokesperson said. "We continually listen to our colleagues' feedback, which helps inform our programs and policies."