Union, Osco Reach Tentative Agreement; Bargaining Committee Recommends Contract for Ratification
The Teamsters Local 727 Bargaining Committee and Osco management returned to the bargaining table on July 28, and after an 11-hour mediation session, reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract.
“Although we didn’t get everything we wanted, economically this is a richer agreement than the last contract,” said John Coli Jr., President of Local 727. “During these negotiations, the Union made strides toward improving working conditions for pharmacists, and we were able to secure a freeze for HRA healthcare contributions for the first time in the history of this contract.”
DOWNLOAD TENTATIVE AGREEMENT SUMMARY
The contract now goes to a member vote, which again will be conducted via mail ballot. The Local 727 Bargaining Committee recommends that members vote “FOR CONTRACT.”
If you have questions, contact your Teamsters Local 727 business representative, Zach Frankenbach, at (847) 696-7500 or [email protected].
The tentative agreement addresses issues most important to the pharmacists and includes the following changes:
Wages
• Wage increases are retroactive to May 8, 2016.
|
5/8/16 |
5/7/17 |
5/6/18 |
|
|
Full-time pharmacists (weekly salary) |
$2,654 |
$2,706 |
$2,762 |
|
Part-time pharmacists (hourly) |
$66.35 |
$67.65 |
$69.05 |
|
Graduate non-registered pharmacists (hourly) |
$29.98 |
$29.78 |
$30.60 |
• BONUSES: Full-time pharmacists will receive a $750 lump sum bonus in years 2 and 3; part-time pharmacists who work more than 20 hours per week will receive a $500 lump sum bonus in years 2 and 3; and part-time pharmacists who work less than 20 hours per week will receive a lump sum bonus of $250 in years 2 and 3.
Health Insurance
• For the first time, employee premiums for the HRA healthcare plan will be frozen for the duration of the contract.
Retirement
• The company shall match 50 percent of all employee contributions to each employee’s 401(k) account up to 7 percent of the employee’s annual earnings. The company shall deposit the match once per year.
PTO/Holidays
• COVERAGE: The company will provide complete sick day and bid vacation coverage. Beginning 90 days after ratification, the company will provide coverage for personal days for up to five pharmacists each calendar day.
• HOLIDAY SCHEDULING: Regular full-time pharmacists hired on or after May 8, 2016, may be required to work without limitation on Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day.
Working Conditions
• The company agrees to continue to monitor and to meet to discuss the union’s concerns about technician hours and pharmacist schedule overlap.
• A Joint Union-Management Committee will meet four times each year. The purpose of this committee will be to foster communication between the parties and seek solutions for pharmacy-based issues, including but not limited to challenges unique and specific to each store. The agenda for each meeting will be set ahead of time by representatives of the individual parties. The union and the company have agreed to discuss the following topics during Committee meetings: staffing levels, job tasks and assignments, performance metrics for staff and head pharmacists, rollout of new company programs, changes to company rules or policies.
• No pharmacist will be required to clean pharmacy bathrooms. The store directors at each store will provide services to clean pharmacy bathrooms. Head Pharmacists will coordinate scheduling of cleaning services with their respective store directors.
• Within 60 days of ratification, union and company will meet to discuss the effectiveness of Staffing 360.
• Employees who desire replacement uniforms may request them from the Employer. The Employer shall provide replacement uniforms at its sole discretion, but not less than three times during the term of the agreement for each regular full-time pharmacist who makes such a request.
• Upon hiring an employee or upon request from the union, the company shall be required to obtain completed union application and authorization forms.
Part-Timers
• Part-timers shall be eligible for funeral leave.
• Part-timers who average more than 10 hours per week shall be eligible for holiday pay.
• If additional part-time hours become available at the pharmacist’s home store, and the pharmacist is available to work the additional hours, the most senior part-time pharmacist in that store will be offered those hours prior to assigning those hours to someone not based in that location unless those hours are assigned to a full-time pharmacist.
• Seniority rights for part-timers.
• All employees, including part-timers, shall be included in vacation bidding process.
Floaters
• The company will make best efforts to schedule floater pharmacists as close as possible to their designated home store. DPMs will meet with floaters to discuss their home store assignments as soon as possible after the inception of this agreement. DPMs will make reasonable efforts to assign floaters to home stores near their respective home addresses.
Full-Time Positions and Transfers
• Open and available head pharmacist and full-time staff pharmacist positions will be sent to pharmacists via email. Bidding will take place via the company’s “usual process.” Positions will be filled by the employer on the basis of individual employee qualifications. Where qualifications are equal, the employer will select the most senior employee who has submitted a bid for the position.
Breaks/Rest Periods
• The company shall provide a private break area.
• Pharmacists’ breaks shall be scheduled and posted by the head pharmacist.
• All breaks and rest periods must be taken on store premises. Where more than one pharmacist is on duty, the other may leave the premises during their break.
• Pharmacies will remain open and pharmacy staff will be scheduled to accommodate breaks. All breaks shall remain uninterrupted except in the event that the absence of the pharmacist may cause a negative impact on the safety and welfare of a patient.
Job Protections
• Enhanced grievance procedure includes defined deadline for the company to respond to grievances and a more liberal timeline to allow the union to file and process grievances.
• Head Pharmacists will not be disciplined for prescription accuracy incidents caused by other employees.
• Head Pharmacists are responsible for creating and implementing work schedules for their respective pharmacies. Staff Pharmacists will not be responsible for creating or implementing work schedules.
• All scheduling shall be subject to the grievance procedure.
• Just cause discipline for more stringent job protection.
Term
• Three years (May 8, 2016 — May 4, 2019)
Category: Osco, PHARMACY, Union News
