CVS Management Threatens Teamster Pharmacists During Bargaining, Union to File Unfair Labor Practice Charges

| July 21, 2016

Representatives of CVS threatened “to do things that would be to the detriment of pharmacists” after Teamsters Local 727 would not agree to the company’s regressive proposals during contract negotiations on Thursday, July 21.

Management verbally threatened the union and Teamster pharmacists in front of the Local 727 Bargaining Committee over CVS’s desire to force employees to work 12-hour shifts. After a two-month hiatus from meeting and two new bargaining sessions, the company has remained unwilling to move from its unreasonable demands.

“CVS has altogether refused to make any movement on mandatory subjects of bargaining and now, instead of simply wasting our time, management has chosen to threaten our members for not rolling over,” said John Coli Jr., President of Local 727. “Not only does the company’s behavior handicap negotiations, management’s statements during Thursday’s session are dangerous and unlawful.”

Local 727 is in the process of filing unfair labor practice charges against CVS with the National Labor Relations Board.

In the meantime, the Local 727 Bargaining Committee formally asked CVS to agree to federal mediation. The union asked the company for available dates to meet for mediation, but management would not immediately respond across the table.

In addition to its threats over 12-hour shifts, CVS also told the union on Thursday that it wishes to limit part-time pharmacists and floaters to performing as little work as possible. Company representatives said they do not want to seek outside help and want as few as two full-time pharmacists to cover 100 percent of shifts at any given store “in an ideal world.”

“Apparently an ideal world for CVS is one in which workers can be bullied into doing anything their employer wants and the company can freely threaten hardworking men and women to silence their concerns,” Coli said. “If CVS is going to act so unprofessionally that management resorts to threatening workers, then it’s become clear that federal mediation must begin.”

Local 727 will update pharmacists as soon as any dates for federal mediation are agreed to. Visit CVSTeamsters.com for regular updates. Any members with questions should contact Melissa Senatore at [email protected].

Category: CVS, PHARMACY, Union News

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