This week thousands of CVS Pharmacy workers represented by UFCW local unions across California have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike.
CVS members have been working for two months with an expired contract, and CVS has refused to make us a fair offer. And while we've been at the table trying to reach a deal, they've been breaking the law by committing numerous unfair labor practices, like retaliation for union activity, unlawful surveillance of workers, and blocking us from talking to our Union Representatives.
Their illegal activity makes it more difficult for us to negotiate a fair agreement. It's time for CVS to acknowledge our collective power and return to the negotiating table with fair contract offers that genuinely reflect the value of our essential healthcare services and the company's financial success.
A Strike Authorization vote DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY MEAN WE ARE ON STRIKE. All contract provisions/protections remain in place while we are negotiating, including your health insurance.
Continue to go to work according to your work schedule until an official representative of the union notifies you that a strike impacting your store has started.
It's essential to stay in touch with your union rep and steward, who will communicate information to members in the stores about actions and next steps in real-time.
IF YOU WALK OFF THE JOB BEFORE THE UNION DECLARES A STRIKE, YOU CAN BE DISCIPLINED AND/OR FIRED.
Our next bargaining session is scheduled for October 16, 2024.
In the meantime, CVS members will be mobilizing throughout the state to show CVS that we deserve respect!
Check back to this space for updates, or contact your union Representative.
After three days of bargaining this week, we are still far from an agreement with Rite Aid. The company continues to push insulting proposals that take away our hard-earned benefits and inadequately compensate us for our hard work.
We have agreed to another contract extension until October 21 at 5 PM and new negotiation dates of October 14 and 21, 2024. But ahead of those dates, we will force Rite Aid to hear what’s important to us. We deserve fair wages, more flexible scheduling, and the vacation and sick time we’ve earned.
Throughout all of this, we must remain united and strong. Rite Aid might try to divide us and convince us that their offer is adequate in light of the management-created bankruptcy. We know that is false. Rite Aid must respect your daily hard work in the stores.
And we are stepping up pressure on the company. We will discuss taking a strike vote on member webinars on October 3 for clerks and techs and October 6 for pharmacists. Join one of these important meetings to ensure you know your rights and the next steps to ensure a fair contract.
Clerks and Techs: Register for the October 3, 2024, webinar at 7 PM here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_B3PUV1gRT5WGGpvm0K5Qhg
Pharmacists: Register for the October 6, 2024, webinar at 7 PM here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcrfu6rpjsvGtNTC5fT7cSzPiGo9Ghh0r15
*pharmacists may join the October 3 meeting as well.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with your Union Representative.
This week, CVS presented us with more insulting wage offers of only ten cents more than their last horrible offer. On day one, fast food workers make $20 an hour. On day 1825 (5 years!), CVS is proposing a store associate still make less than $20 an hour.
They can afford to pay their workers more.
We've been working for two months with an expired contract, and CVS has refused to make us a fair offer. And while we've been at the table trying to reach a deal, they've been breaking the law by committing numerous unfair labor practices, like unlawful surveillance of workers, retaliation for union activity, and blocking us from talking to our Union Representatives.
That's why we're scheduling strike authorization votes in the coming weeks.
It's time to stand up and make our voices heard by casting your votes and telling the company to stop breaking the law.
We are holding a member webinar on September 9, 2024 at 7 PM to answer any questions and discuss the next steps. Register here for the CVS member webinar: bit.ly/cvs99webinar7pm
In the meantime, please continue to report to work as usual.
Remember, your wages, benefits, and contract protections remain intact even though our contract has expired.
If you have questions regarding bargaining, the upcoming strike authorization vote, or the webinar, do not hesitate to contact your Union Representative.
SoCal UFCW Local unions will resume negotiations with CVS this week, August 27 and 28, 2024. After the conclusion, UFCW 1167 will post an update to this space.
Rite Aid’s Offer Is Still Not Nearly Enough. They keep using bankruptcy as an excuse to not give us what we deserve.
We’ve met with Rite Aid for two more days this week, and while the company has made some movement in wages, it’s not enough to account for inflation and the high cost of living here in Southern California.
We have agreed to sign an additional contract extension through September 27, 2024, and more negotiation sessions are scheduled on September 9, 19, 25, 26, and 27. But the reality is we’re still far apart on a contract. It’s clear that Rite Aid needs to get serious about negotiating a fair contract that reflects our work and the value we bring to Rite Aid and our customers.
As always, if you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Union Representative.
Rite Aid negotiations resume today, July 14, and continue tomorrow, July 15. Negotiation progress updates will be posted to this space at the end of the day on Thursday, July 15
Today, your union met again with CVS, and they once again refused to discuss what’s important to you and your families: adequate and affordable healthcare and wages that reflect your vital healthcare role.
CVS is one of the most profitable healthcare companies in the country, yet it won’t negotiate a low-cost healthcare proposal for its employees or pay fair wages.
We have more bargaining dates scheduled for August 27 and 28, but we’ll not make progress until we show the company how serious we are about our proposals.
We are planning more actions across the state. Stay tuned for details on how you can get involved and ensure we get the contract we deserve—one that provides us with fair wages and affordable health care.
As always, if you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Union Representative.
Check back to this space for future updates.
Rite Aid's Initial Offer is UNACCEPTABLE.
On July 30, 31, and August 1, 2024, we met with Rite Aid for our second round of bargaining. The proposals Rite Aid presented over the last three days are unacceptable! Rite Aid has proposed to remove many of the protections we currently have in our contract, and they only want to give you a 0.25-cent wage increase.
Rite Aid keeps using bankruptcy as an excuse not to give members what you deserve, but we know Rite Aid employees are the reason why our customers and patients return to Rite Aid.
Rite Aid's continued success relies on treating its employees properly.
What's Next?We have two more bargaining dates scheduled on August 14 - 15, 2024, to bargain for the contract you deserve. In the meantime, Rite Aid needs to hear from all of us about whether they will get serious about negotiating a fair contract.
As always, if you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact your Union Representative.
Workers DEMAND RESPECT at the table.
This week, all UFCW Locals met again with CVS to negotiate the contract. We want a contract that reflects the essential work we do, that helped contribute to CVS’ 11 BILLION dollars in profits last year. We continue to demand respect, but CVS is still playing games and refusing to discuss key issues such as affordable health care.
CVS is one of the most profitable healthcare companies in the country, yet they refuse to negotiate a low-cost healthcare proposal for their employees.
Since day one of bargaining, we gave CVS a comprehensive contract proposal that covered everything – wages, benefits, health care and all language items. Meanwhile, CVS has refused to engage in any meaningful way on our proposals.
We have additional bargaining dates scheduled for August 7, 27, and 28; please check back to this spacefor future negotiation updates.
We will continue to push for the contract we deserve. As always, if you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Union Representative.
On July 10, we met with Rite Aid for our very first day of bargaining. We showed up at the table ready to fight for the contract we rightfully deserve. We began today’s session by presenting all of our proposals, including fair pay and benefits that reflect our essential work, safe staffing levels that prevent theft and burnout, and affordable and comprehensive health benefits to keep us well.
What’s next?
Our priorities are explicit. We deserve safe staffing levels and the wages and health benefits needed to raise healthy families. We are demanding a fair contract that respects our essential work, reflects our vital healthcare role and provides the staffing and store safety required to improve customers’ shopping experience.
Our contract is set to expire on July 20, 2024 and we have agreed to a contract extension until August 15, 2024. We will meet again with the company on July 30, 31, and August 1, 14th and 15th.
In order to make a strong contract possible, we must stay united, strong, and engaged. Whether we’re at the bargaining table or in the stores, we have the power to show the company that we’re serious about our proposals and that we’re ready to stand together to get a strong contract.
If you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Union Representative.
Check back to this space for future updates.
Due to illness, Rite Aid has canceled negotiations scheduled for Today, July 9, 2024. They continue to plan on meeting on Wednesday, July 10, 2024. Check back to this space for updates.
Rite Aid negotiations are officially scheduled to begin on July 9, 10 and 31st, August 1, 2, 2024.
After ratification vote, our new three-year agreement with Food4Less was officially approved by SoCal UFCW Food4Less members. Thank you for taking the time to vote and ensuring your voice was heard.
Because of our solidarity and commitment to fighting for the contract we deserve, our new contract includes the following:
This victory directly results from our power at the bargaining table and in our stores.
Every meeting we attended, rally we participated in, petition we signed, and action we took gave us the strength to reach this agreement.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your Union Representative.
We’ve just concluded another four days of bargaining with CVS. While we have agreed on some issues, the company continues to shoot down our reasonable offers for fair wages and affordable health care.
Today, at bargaining, we delivered thousands of workers’ signatures to the company demanding a contract that provides us with a fair wage, safe staffing levels, and affordable health care.
What’s Next?
Our Contract expires on Sunday, June 30, and the bargaining team has made the strategic decision not to agree to a contract extension because a contract extension would limit our ability to fight for the fair Contract we deserve. We will continue fighting for the wages and benefits that reflect our vital healthcare role and the staffing and store safety required to improve customers’ shopping experience.
Remember, when a contract expires, it doesn’t mean that our wages, benefits, or protections will end.
More bargaining dates have been added on July 11 and 12. We will also be joined by a Federal Mediator, who will serve as a neutral party who can help us ensure that bargaining is productive and fair.
As always, if you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact your Union Representative.
Today, we concluded our bargaining session with CVS in Hayward. The company gave us an insulting wage proposal and disrespected us at the table, calling us “unreasonable” for demanding a living wage.
Be clear: CVS’s insulting offers and disrespectful treatment will not be tolerated at the table or in the stores.
Today, we concluded our bargaining session with CVS in Hayward. The company gave us an insulting wage proposal and disrespected us at the table, calling us “unreasonable” for demanding a living wage.
Let us be clear: CVS’ insulting offers and disrespectful treatment will not be tolerated at the table or in the stores.
CVS is a billion-dollar company - one of the most profitable in the country - and pays their CEO an exorbitant salary of over $21 million a year - while we endure near-poverty wages, inadequately expensive healthcare (which is ironic since they are a healthcare company), and unsafe staffing levels that risk our lives on the job.
This week, we’re out in the stores doing delegations and delivering petitions to managers, demanding a fair contract that respects our essential work and provides us with the wages and benefits that reflect our vital healthcare role and the staffing and store safety required to improve customers’ shopping experience.
What’s Next?Tomorrow, we’re showing up and showing out for what we deserve, rallying across the state with hundreds of our union siblings at 11 am in Whittier, CA, and San Jose, CA, to show a united force of solidarity and strength. We’ll get loud to demand a fair contract that delivers us safe staffing levels and the wages and health benefits needed to raise healthy families.
If you haven’t already, make a plan to attend and RSVP here:
Whittier: https://bit.ly/CVSrally622
When the company sees us attending rallies, signing petitions, and bargaining, it will know that we are standing strong for a fair contract.
Our contract expires on June 30, and we’re ready to do what it takes to reach a Tentative Agreement by then.
We return to the bargaining table next week on Tuesday, June 25, and we will continue to push for productive and respectful bargaining sessions that will allow us to negotiate for the contract we deserve. We will not tolerate anything less.
As always, if you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact your Union Representative.
Today, we met with CVS for our second round of bargaining. At our previous bargaining session on May 23, we asked the company to show up with serious answers to our proposals that would move bargaining forward and allow us to reach an agreement on the fair contract that we deserve.
While we have reached a few agreements on minor issues, the company continues to shoot down our reasonable offers regarding our most important issues, like safety and staffing. They refuse to discuss wages and continue to defend their staffing levels and safety training rather than listen to the people who are in the stores every day.
We’ve been clear with CVS: we want to reach a fair agreement by the time our contract expires on June 30. That’s why we gave them all of our proposals on the very first day of bargaining and why we expected them to come prepared to negotiate on the issues that affect our lives.
What’s Next?We don’t meet with the company until June 20, 21, 25-28, so right now, it’s critical we send CVS a message loud and clear: We deserve a fair contract that delivers us safe staffing levels and the wages and health benefits needed to raise healthy families by the time our contract expires, and we’re ready to do what it takes to reach a Tentative Agreement by June
When the company sees us attending rallies and engaging in bargaining, they’ll know that wea are standing strong for a fair contract.
We will continue pushing for productive bargaining sessions to allow us to negotiate for the contract we deserve. As always, if you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Union Representative.
SoCal Locals are rallying on Saturday, June 22, at 11 am in Whittier, Ca, to show a united force of solidarity and strength so they know we are not going to accept anything less than what we deserve. Make a plan to attend and RSVP click https://bit.ly/CVSrally622
On May 23, we met with CVS for our very first day of bargaining. We showed up at the table ready to fight for the contract we rightfully deserve. We began the bargaining session by presenting all of our proposals, including fair pay and benefits that reflect our essential work, safe staffing levels that prevent theft and burnout, and affordable and comprehensive health benefits to keep us well.
We made our priorities explicit. We told the company we deserve safe staffing levels and the wages and health benefits needed to raise healthy families. We demand a fair contract that respects our essential work that reflects our vital healthcare role and the staffing and store safety required to improve customers’ shopping experience.
CVS refused to give us their economic proposals today and was more concerned about protecting the company than giving us what we deserve.
What’s next?We will meet again with the company on May 31 for our second round of bargaining. In the meantime, the company will review the proposals we submitted, and we will continue to urge them to come back to the table with serious offers that recognize the value of our work.
Our contract is set to expire on June 30.When a contract expires, it doesn’t mean that our wages, benefits, or protections will end. However, we will push CVS to reach an agreement with us on the contract we deserve by the day our contract expires.
To make a strong contract possible, we must stay united, strong, and engaged. Whether at the bargaining table or in the stores, we have the power to show the company that we’re serious about our proposals and ready to stand together to get a strong contract.
If you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to contact your Union Representative.