Walgreens Pharmacy Employees Plan Walkout at US Stores
Employees at one of the largest drugstore chains in the United States say harsh working conditions make it difficult to safely fill prescriptions, which could put the health of their customers at risk. Now they’re demanding change by staging a series of walkouts across the country. Pharmacy employees at some Walgreens stores, including pharmacists, technicians and support staff, are planning a walkout between Oct. 9-11, an organizer confirmed to CNN. Some employees plan to walk out for just one day, while others expect to shutter their pharmacies for all three days. Employees at more than 500 of America’s approximately 9,000 Walgreens stores across the U.S. have expressed interest and solidarity, a Walgreens pharmacy employee and walkout organizer said.
Total Retail's Take: This walkout comes on the heels of a similar action at Walgreens' largest competitor, CVS. In September, CVS pharmacists shuttered as many as 22 pharmacies in two walkouts over two weeks in the Kansas City area in a planned protest, prompting executives from the Rhode Island-based retailer to meet with staff and assure them that additional support and higher overtime pay were coming. With the push for people to receive COVID vaccine boosters as well as the usual spike pharmacies see for seasonal flu shots in the fall, pharmacists are feeling overwhelmed. Furthermore, they're claiming a lack of training for new technicians to help better distribute the increasing workload. The result is disgruntled retail employees, not an uncommon occurrence in today's environment.
