The Pharmacy Guild/IAM Has Called on Our Elected Officials to Protect Rite-Aid Workers
As CVS moved to acquire dozens of shuttered Rite Aid and Bartell Drugs locations, The Pharmacy Guild/IAM sent urgent letters to workforce agencies in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, demanding immediate action to protect pharmacy workers and ensure communities aren’t left without care. The letters warn that widespread layoffs, forced reapplications, and chronic understaffing threaten both jobs and public health—especially in underserved areas. The Guild emphasized that these transitions must be handled with transparency and fairness for the professionals who’ve long kept these pharmacies running.
In the letters, The Pharmacy Guild/IAM outlined specific harms already underway: 131 pharmacy professionals laid off in Washington, over 135 layoffs and 12 store closures in Oregon, and store closures across Idaho with more expected. The Guild urged states to prevent further layoffs, require CVS to retain existing workers without making them reapply, and mandate that former Rite Aid employees be offered roles at CVS-run pharmacies. They also called on CVS to remain neutral in any union efforts and to follow WARN Act rules and state-level protections, such as Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave law.
The Guild’s message is clear: these mass layoffs are not just a labor crisis—they’re a threat to community health. That’s why the letters also push for expanded state support like SharedWork and standby programs to cushion the blow for workers while ensuring patients continue to receive safe, uninterrupted care. The Pharmacy Guild/IAM is urging states to intervene now, before more damage is done—and to hold CVS accountable for the health and livelihoods of the people at the heart of this industry.
The Pharmacy Guild/IAM is organizing across America to ensure patient safety and better working conditions at all US pharmacies.
The Pharmacy Guild/IAM is a movement of pharmacy professionals standing up for respect, safety, and a real voice on the job for our patients and ourselves. Our union is for everyone. Whether you work in a chain store, hospital, or independent pharmacy, we’re here to fight alongside you for fair wages, reasonable workloads, and better working conditions. We believe pharmacists and pharmacy technicians deserve better—and we’re proving change is possible.
When pharmacy workers organize, patients benefit. We’re pushing for safer staffing levels, more time for patient care, and the protection of professional judgment. The Pharmacy Guild/IAM is committed to creating a future where pharmacy isn’t just a business—it’s a respected part of the healthcare system that truly puts people first.
The Pharmacy Guild/IAM is fighting for legislative changes locally and nationally to protect patients and pharmacy professionals from unsafe working conditions.
The Pharmacy Guild, in partnership with IAM Healthcare, is fighting for national and state-level safety legislation to protect both pharmacy professionals and the communities we serve. Across the country, understaffing and prescription quotas have pushed pharmacy staff to the breaking point, putting patient safety at risk. The Guild is working to pass laws that set enforceable standards for safe staffing, rest breaks, and the professional judgment of licensed pharmacists and technicians.
In states like Rhode Island and Washington, The Pharmacy Guild is already pushing for legislative hearings and public accountability from major chains like CVS and Walgreens. By lifting up the voices of frontline workers and partnering with patients, our union is demanding laws that put health over profit. This includes backing bills that would limit prescription volume per staff, protect whistleblowers, and ban retaliatory scheduling.
This isn’t just about working conditions—it’s about patient safety. When pharmacy teams are properly staffed and supported, medication errors drop, counseling improves, and communities stay healthier. The Pharmacy Guild/IAM is leading the charge to make that the standard—not the exception.
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