In the fourth and fifth union filings since March, pharmacy professionals continue to rapidly unionize in demand of higher patient standards
Woonsocket, RI — The movement to unionize corporate pharmacies continues to gain momentum, as two more groups of pharmacy professionals filed to unionize in Rhode Island, the national headquarters for CVS.
Pharmacy technicians and pharmacy interns at a 24/7 CVS store in Wakefield, RI, have filed to unionize with The Pharmacy Guild (TPG) three and a half weeks after pharmacists at their store filed to join. Pharmacists at another CVS store in Westerly, RI also filed to unionize with TPG just weeks after pharmacists at a neighboring store in Westerly filed to join the union. The rapid speed of organizing reflects the urgency within the industry – and the solidarity between pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy interns to protect their patients.
“We are proud to join our colleagues in standing up for the improved conditions our patients deserve,” said Chris DesRochers, a pharmacy technician at CVS Wakefield active in the recent organizing. “By forming a wall-to-wall pharmacy union, where all pharmacy workers will be covered, we are building a union with the power to bring true change.”
The new filings are the fourth and fifth TPG filings in just two months, after the first-in-the-nation victory in March. Pharmacy professionals cite the challenges of securing safe staffing levels at both stores as a major safety issue for patients. With collective bargaining units, workers will be entitled to negotiate with CVS over issues including staffing levels, patient care standards, and other issues critical for patient safety and the future of the profession.