CVS Ignores Union’s Request to Enter Federal Mediation
CVS management is repeating its history of unreasonable actions and delay tactics by ignoring Teamsters Local 727’s request to enter federal mediation.
At the end of the last negotiation meeting on July 21 – during which CVS management openly threatened “to do things that would be to the detriment of pharmacists” after the Local 727 Bargaining Committee would not agree to the company’s regressive proposals – the union formally asked CVS to agree to enter federal mediation. The union specifically asked for available dates to meet for mediation, but management would not respond across the table. Two weeks later, the company still has not responded.
“First, management threatened our pharmacists, and now, management is ignoring them,” said John Coli Jr., President of Local 727. “This type of unprofessional, unreasonable and unlawful behavior is unacceptable.”
During the July 21 meeting, CVS 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 remained unwilling to move from its unreasonable demands.
In addition to its threats over 12-hour shifts, CVS also told the union on July 21 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.”
Local 727 has filed unfair labor practice charges against CVS with the National Labor Relations Board.
“The company’s actions during our last negotiation meeting were dangerous and unlawful,” Coli said. “Our pharmacists and our union refuse to be bullied by this gigantic corporation, so we will continue to fight.”
The union will updates pharmacists when the company agrees to dates for federal mediation. Members with questions should contact Local 727 business representative Melissa Senatore at (847) 696-7500 or [email protected].
