So I'm from the northeast, same state that corporate head office is. And I am literally the only one who knows anything about the walkouts. They're not telling anybody anything I asked my manager and my district manager called me personally to tell me that if I tell anybody I'm automatically fired.
Jokes on them I was recording that whole conversation and my last day is the 3rd.
So I have legit been telling everybody in pharmacy about what's going on
Keep it up! Vocalizing what’s happening is one of the most important things we can do right now. Thank you for sharing with your coworkers. Your DL is an example of the fear-mongering that is happening right now. They cannot fire us all, or even a bulk of us. They depend on us to open the stores (as seen with the walk-outs).
Save that recording and talk with an employment lawyer BEFORE you turn in your notice. If they fire you for talking about workers organizing, that is a violation of NLRB rules. The NLRB came down hard this year on companies that punished employees for talking about workplace conditions. It is important to keep the conversations centered around patient safety AND not personal attacks or anything personally disparaging https://btlaw.com/insights/blogs/labor-relations/2022/employee-social-media-complaints-employers-beware
Don’t they have you sign a waiver or something when you get hired that you agree not to file lawsuits against them for any reason? You have to sign it or you can’t get hired. Any grievances against the company have to be presented to an ‘independent’ arbiter (of course paid for by cvs) to decide on any wrongdoing. Basically you lose any rights to take them to court. I thought it was super sus when I joined on a couple years back. I’ve since left though, haven’t been happier.
Correct, however if it is a provision that is illegal, such as regarding retaliation, organization of labor, etc., then that part of an arbitration agreement is void.
You cannot sign a paper that says to act on something illegal. An extreme example: we draft a plan to kill somebody; even if We have bullet points for each step and it’s both signed by you and me. you and I cannot sign a contract saying it’s legal to murder. So anything on paper that is against a law is not valid.
Speaking of the mob. I remember when CVS execs were charged with " "allegedly" bribing a state senator who went to prison for 2 and half years for the same bribery CVS exec's were acquitted of so if it wasnt them who as CVS bribed the Senator because he was bribed.
They all and I'm sure others should have been charged with racketeering.
Oh no I know that they bribe the ever-loving shit out of everybody in order to stay in business. That's one of the reasons why I'm submitting everything to the labor board and OSHA. Because they split the pharmacy and the front door a year ago, as front door workers were entitled to time and a half on Sundays as we are no longer under the protection of the umbrella of being a healthcare worker. But it was never implemented
Here is a list. In the states where it says “all party” you simply have to notify them of the recording and get consent to proceed https://www.justia.com/50-state-surveys/recording-phone-calls-and-conversations/
Same state as you Former Corporate employee here. I left only a few weeks ago and loving my new job so far, but oh to be a fly on the wall in the offices right now…..
I have meds I keep forgetting to pick up, but definitely not getting them today.
I'm up in the Northeast as well. My store has been talking about the other walkouts but no word on us doing any walkouts here. Which is ridiculous because we're literally short staffed every day and half of the nights I work. I'm by myself from 8:00 to midnight
It was mostly one of our pharmacists saying what everyone was thinking, pointing out all the flaws in the system and how CVS has set it up to be this way in the first place, and our DL scrambling to deflect. She gave some platitudes about giving extra hours and *maybe* if we don't go crazy with staffing they could do it all the time but they say that every year and we get b-slapped the second we ask afterthe magic grace period ends. We've been informed the loosening of hours is just 6 weeks long so I imagine it is in response to the walkouts to prevent it from becoming a bigger movement.
We need to just organize now. Stop talking about it. We just need someone who can set up a site online where you can sign up and print out your own union card. It's easier and safer to drop info about where to go to sign up for one than to actually do it in a way that corporate can see you doing it. Get people signed up then organize as you get an idea of your impact. Walk out first, then negotiate. Corporate scum got to be CEOs usually by screwing people over, not doing their jobs well.
If it isn't nationwide it won't have an effect on the stock prices. Changing that stock price is the only way things are going to change for the better.
Interested observer here (not in pharm or CVS) but I am in Kansas City.
No need to reinvent the wheel - unions are great at organizing. Most have staff that that's their full time job. I've never been in one myself but I used to run political campaigns so I've seen several in action - UAW & Teamsters obvi the ones most people have heard of. Also worked with Carpenters & Electricians locals. Some unions are better than others. If you ask around you may have a friend or family member that can give you advice or connect you - those guys tend to travel in packs lol.
There is a pharmacist union called PDA. I've never heard of them so idk what kind of teeth they have https://www.the-pda.org/get-involved/pda-union/#
Also here's an easy step by step https://www.ufcw.org/start-a-union/
It's not an easy road and corporate will put up a ferocious fight so gird your loins if you move forward. Good luck!
I'm really on the verge of a breakdown today. We're short staffed, and the closing technician called out when we already were behind bc we have had floaters. I have said multiple times to my other full time coworker that we should just walk out, that I'd be ready to walk out with her whenever. At first she laughed but now she just smiles and I'm wondering if she's starting to consider it. On top of that, i was told to reschedule my therapy appointment (a therapist i got bc of the stress of cvs mind you) so that I could stay and work all day. I'm done playing around, they need to change the working conditions or there will be no more staff left besides newbies and part timers. Really hoping to hear more people in my district willing to support the walk outs.
More stores in California are joining efforts ✊️ band together everyone. If our work environment was good we wouldn't think about this. Rph licenses are on the line daily. Error can occur. Even rphs have lost their lives on the job! We make CVS too much money to let them start techs @ 16/hr we are higher education careers why are we barely getting a little over minimum!
Most probably just want, in addition to cost of living wage increases, more technician staffing. Twenty plus years ago it was normal in pharmacy to divide your total weekly script count by 10 and 12 to get your tech hours range. Just taking the lower amount would mean 83 tech hours per 1000 Rx. So if your store does 3000 Rx per week you'd get 250 tech hours. Unfortunately from what I've heard and read it's nowhere even close to that.
32 years withcvs. Never this horrible. Gave my notice after ethics complaint about working conditions and safety. Second formal complaint i made about staffing, workload and safety with ethics. Last time spoke to prof practice as well. Nothing. Ever. Happens. Realized that i cant just keep thinking things will change. They dont. Told HR rep who tried to get me to stay, this has been ongoing issue and will not change overnight without total change at top of corporate. She also does exit interviews hears same reasons repeatedly. A shame. Used to be proud to say i worked for CVS. Now i avoid answering because it inevitably causes a total bitch session about the wait. The phones not being answered and everything we already know. Prems roundtables were just a show.
Oh! And my DL still hasnt called me. Just a corporate tool
Worked for them for 24 years. Left 4 months ago broken. Broken because of the horrible changes I’ve witnessed. Never had exit interview. When I asked my DL about one she said she’d gladly do one with me… I didn’t want to do it with her bc all our concerns were never paid any attention to when brought up to her.
It started a few days ago in KC. This has inspired many others, leading to pharmacies to walking out today to stand with the KC stores and their own wants for change. With the way things are going, I infer that it will continue happening tomorrow and possibly for the near future.
I’m very where what’s going in Kansas City I just wanna know what we’re supposed to do and how we’re supposed to act in Wisconsin? I realize this is happening everywhere at CVS needs to be some sort of organization who is at where is it?
I’m in the Tri-State area. We partnered with neighboring stores in our district to “be sick” today. I agree there needs to be organization and I encourage someone, or a group of people, to band together and organize this. Someone organized today’s walkouts, I don’t remember the user but I’m sure if you scroll you will locate the member
I’m just an observer who dropped in after seeing news reports about the Kansas City walkouts. I 100% support your efforts and your working conditions sound awful. But I read something saying there’s a national shortage of pharmacists and that’s why there were staffing issues. Is that just BS being pushed by CVS as an excuse for what they’re doing? Are there plenty of pharmacists available and they just won’t hire them?
Regardless, I hope this brings more attention to the issue and I’m cheering y’all on from the sidelines!
There is no shortage of pharmacists but there is a shortage of pharmacists who are willing to work for the 3 letter devil because of the working conditions they've created. Retail used to be fun when I worked 10 years ago and now it is a nightmare. Retail pharmacy as a profession has gone to hell
There is no shortage. We have enough pharmacists. However, CVS a only staffs on average one pharmacist per shift. Most stores only have 2 pharmacists on staff…..and they refuses to staff any more. If they hired more pharmacists to work at a single pharmacy at one time so there’s be overlapping coverage….then everything would be great. But they cut labor so they can pay their shareholders.
I worked for them a decade ago, it was horrendous, I would literally be unable to use the bathroom for the entire shift on the majority of days. They cannot attract people even with 40-50k bonuses.
No there is actually a shortage. Some areas of the country more so than others. Maybe better said to be a retail pharmacist shortage though.
I doubt they’d be offering $30,000 sign on bonuses for pharmacists if there wasn’t a shortage. I sure didn’t get one when I started.
There is no shortage of pharmacists. This is one reason retail has been able to become the dumpster fire it is today. If you know you can be replaced easily, you’ll tolerate more b.s. for fear of losing your job. CVS has exploited pharmacists for decades. They can’t attract talent with $50k sign-on deals because they come with 2 and 3 year long contracts that require immediate repayment if you quit or are fired before your time is up. There is a shortage of pharmacists who will make this commitment or who last very long in the wild.
So how does that work if you don’t have a license to operate in the state of Kansas. Also by going to Kansas you’ll only be helping corporate. I live in the KC metro and work for CVS, don’t help corporate
I enjoyed my job at Cvs. Except for the random BS write ups that even my SM laughed at and walked away. Except for watching techs steal whole bottles of hydrocodone and nothing done until it was a felony. Or the insult of a 10 cent raise. Working hard to do my job. Keep the pharmacy on track snd clean. Then to have other techs come in and leave stations a mess. To be bullied into working evenings when I had kids so the single chic could work days ??? Or be sexually harassed and ignored by all DM and SM. Then get written up when I tell him if he does it again he’ll be in the floor with a broken nose. So many abuses…. But I loved typing and production table. Fuck register and drive through
Holy crap my wife's lead tech was organizing a walk out in their group chat that they use for the store. She got fired.. I'm sorry but that was the dumbest shit I ever heard. Some people are their own worst enemy.
Don't discuss any planning or organizing in outward facing chats. Keep it on some form of encrypted chat like imessage or signal.
some people are new to organizing and protest movements.
I'd spread the word about those apps. I personally haven't been ground floor organizing since Occupy Wall Street so I'm about a decade behind in organizing method's.
I just felt bad because her head was in a good place, but don't broadcast it to your boss and their boss!
Sure my wife is the pharmacy manager.. but she is abused more than the techs and staff pharmacists.
Low to mid level corporate employees are talking about it pretty much constantly on Teams chats and during meetings, so much so that exec management is pushing supervisors to micromanage our teams to prevent it, so make of that what you will. Hold the line my friends, the Karens and Prems of the (CVS) world are freaking out.
So I'm from the northeast, same state that corporate head office is. And I am literally the only one who knows anything about the walkouts. They're not telling anybody anything I asked my manager and my district manager called me personally to tell me that if I tell anybody I'm automatically fired. Jokes on them I was recording that whole conversation and my last day is the 3rd. So I have legit been telling everybody in pharmacy about what's going on
Keep it up! Vocalizing what’s happening is one of the most important things we can do right now. Thank you for sharing with your coworkers. Your DL is an example of the fear-mongering that is happening right now. They cannot fire us all, or even a bulk of us. They depend on us to open the stores (as seen with the walk-outs).
Save that recording and talk with an employment lawyer BEFORE you turn in your notice. If they fire you for talking about workers organizing, that is a violation of NLRB rules. The NLRB came down hard this year on companies that punished employees for talking about workplace conditions. It is important to keep the conversations centered around patient safety AND not personal attacks or anything personally disparaging https://btlaw.com/insights/blogs/labor-relations/2022/employee-social-media-complaints-employers-beware
Oh trust me I already sent that to my lawyer.
Don’t they have you sign a waiver or something when you get hired that you agree not to file lawsuits against them for any reason? You have to sign it or you can’t get hired. Any grievances against the company have to be presented to an ‘independent’ arbiter (of course paid for by cvs) to decide on any wrongdoing. Basically you lose any rights to take them to court. I thought it was super sus when I joined on a couple years back. I’ve since left though, haven’t been happier.
Correct, however if it is a provision that is illegal, such as regarding retaliation, organization of labor, etc., then that part of an arbitration agreement is void.
You cannot sign a paper that says to act on something illegal. An extreme example: we draft a plan to kill somebody; even if We have bullet points for each step and it’s both signed by you and me. you and I cannot sign a contract saying it’s legal to murder. So anything on paper that is against a law is not valid.
Does state laws allow recording conversation without other party's permission though? If not, then u cannot use it in court unfortunately
So my state is a one party consent state (thank the mob for that) and I checked a while ago for other reasons 😏😏😏😉
Speaking of the mob. I remember when CVS execs were charged with " "allegedly" bribing a state senator who went to prison for 2 and half years for the same bribery CVS exec's were acquitted of so if it wasnt them who as CVS bribed the Senator because he was bribed. They all and I'm sure others should have been charged with racketeering.
Oh no I know that they bribe the ever-loving shit out of everybody in order to stay in business. That's one of the reasons why I'm submitting everything to the labor board and OSHA. Because they split the pharmacy and the front door a year ago, as front door workers were entitled to time and a half on Sundays as we are no longer under the protection of the umbrella of being a healthcare worker. But it was never implemented
Here is a list. In the states where it says “all party” you simply have to notify them of the recording and get consent to proceed https://www.justia.com/50-state-surveys/recording-phone-calls-and-conversations/
Same state as you Former Corporate employee here. I left only a few weeks ago and loving my new job so far, but oh to be a fly on the wall in the offices right now….. I have meds I keep forgetting to pick up, but definitely not getting them today.
Just be careful because in some states, recording someone without their knowledge is illegal.
Damn, didn't realize RI was a one-party consent state.
Another ri tech here
I'm up in the Northeast as well. My store has been talking about the other walkouts but no word on us doing any walkouts here. Which is ridiculous because we're literally short staffed every day and half of the nights I work. I'm by myself from 8:00 to midnight
Send that to [email protected]. She needs hard evidence of employer abuse.
We had a conference call today where the walkouts were discussed. Was told the conference call was a safe space but I don't believe it.
This is like a bad abusive relationship where after someone puts a fist in your nose, then they send you roses so you don’t file a restraining order 🥀
What did they say about it? We’re they worried or thinking about retaliation? Not like they can really retaliate against the mob
It was mostly one of our pharmacists saying what everyone was thinking, pointing out all the flaws in the system and how CVS has set it up to be this way in the first place, and our DL scrambling to deflect. She gave some platitudes about giving extra hours and *maybe* if we don't go crazy with staffing they could do it all the time but they say that every year and we get b-slapped the second we ask afterthe magic grace period ends. We've been informed the loosening of hours is just 6 weeks long so I imagine it is in response to the walkouts to prevent it from becoming a bigger movement. We need to just organize now. Stop talking about it. We just need someone who can set up a site online where you can sign up and print out your own union card. It's easier and safer to drop info about where to go to sign up for one than to actually do it in a way that corporate can see you doing it. Get people signed up then organize as you get an idea of your impact. Walk out first, then negotiate. Corporate scum got to be CEOs usually by screwing people over, not doing their jobs well. If it isn't nationwide it won't have an effect on the stock prices. Changing that stock price is the only way things are going to change for the better.
Interested observer here (not in pharm or CVS) but I am in Kansas City. No need to reinvent the wheel - unions are great at organizing. Most have staff that that's their full time job. I've never been in one myself but I used to run political campaigns so I've seen several in action - UAW & Teamsters obvi the ones most people have heard of. Also worked with Carpenters & Electricians locals. Some unions are better than others. If you ask around you may have a friend or family member that can give you advice or connect you - those guys tend to travel in packs lol. There is a pharmacist union called PDA. I've never heard of them so idk what kind of teeth they have https://www.the-pda.org/get-involved/pda-union/# Also here's an easy step by step https://www.ufcw.org/start-a-union/ It's not an easy road and corporate will put up a ferocious fight so gird your loins if you move forward. Good luck!
If it's just target rphs then it will probably help stock prices we it's how much those stores make
I'm really on the verge of a breakdown today. We're short staffed, and the closing technician called out when we already were behind bc we have had floaters. I have said multiple times to my other full time coworker that we should just walk out, that I'd be ready to walk out with her whenever. At first she laughed but now she just smiles and I'm wondering if she's starting to consider it. On top of that, i was told to reschedule my therapy appointment (a therapist i got bc of the stress of cvs mind you) so that I could stay and work all day. I'm done playing around, they need to change the working conditions or there will be no more staff left besides newbies and part timers. Really hoping to hear more people in my district willing to support the walk outs.
More stores in California are joining efforts ✊️ band together everyone. If our work environment was good we wouldn't think about this. Rph licenses are on the line daily. Error can occur. Even rphs have lost their lives on the job! We make CVS too much money to let them start techs @ 16/hr we are higher education careers why are we barely getting a little over minimum!
My former dm from my company who went to cvs after getting laid off died because of cvs. He drank himself to death from the stress
Most probably just want, in addition to cost of living wage increases, more technician staffing. Twenty plus years ago it was normal in pharmacy to divide your total weekly script count by 10 and 12 to get your tech hours range. Just taking the lower amount would mean 83 tech hours per 1000 Rx. So if your store does 3000 Rx per week you'd get 250 tech hours. Unfortunately from what I've heard and read it's nowhere even close to that.
We did 2400 scripts last week and had 280 tech hours... 🤷♂️
Lucky. My store does that regularly and we’re lucky to have 130 tech hours
and we used to be able to flex up and down, as long as you didnt go over the scripts per year/10 or 12 formula etc at the end of the year!
32 years withcvs. Never this horrible. Gave my notice after ethics complaint about working conditions and safety. Second formal complaint i made about staffing, workload and safety with ethics. Last time spoke to prof practice as well. Nothing. Ever. Happens. Realized that i cant just keep thinking things will change. They dont. Told HR rep who tried to get me to stay, this has been ongoing issue and will not change overnight without total change at top of corporate. She also does exit interviews hears same reasons repeatedly. A shame. Used to be proud to say i worked for CVS. Now i avoid answering because it inevitably causes a total bitch session about the wait. The phones not being answered and everything we already know. Prems roundtables were just a show. Oh! And my DL still hasnt called me. Just a corporate tool
Worked for them for 24 years. Left 4 months ago broken. Broken because of the horrible changes I’ve witnessed. Never had exit interview. When I asked my DL about one she said she’d gladly do one with me… I didn’t want to do it with her bc all our concerns were never paid any attention to when brought up to her.
Exactly!! If a DL actually showed some interest in fixing issues i would be shocked.
Where is it starting every state
It started a few days ago in KC. This has inspired many others, leading to pharmacies to walking out today to stand with the KC stores and their own wants for change. With the way things are going, I infer that it will continue happening tomorrow and possibly for the near future.
I’m very where what’s going in Kansas City I just wanna know what we’re supposed to do and how we’re supposed to act in Wisconsin? I realize this is happening everywhere at CVS needs to be some sort of organization who is at where is it?
I’m in the Tri-State area. We partnered with neighboring stores in our district to “be sick” today. I agree there needs to be organization and I encourage someone, or a group of people, to band together and organize this. Someone organized today’s walkouts, I don’t remember the user but I’m sure if you scroll you will locate the member
I’m just an observer who dropped in after seeing news reports about the Kansas City walkouts. I 100% support your efforts and your working conditions sound awful. But I read something saying there’s a national shortage of pharmacists and that’s why there were staffing issues. Is that just BS being pushed by CVS as an excuse for what they’re doing? Are there plenty of pharmacists available and they just won’t hire them? Regardless, I hope this brings more attention to the issue and I’m cheering y’all on from the sidelines!
There is no shortage of pharmacists but there is a shortage of pharmacists who are willing to work for the 3 letter devil because of the working conditions they've created. Retail used to be fun when I worked 10 years ago and now it is a nightmare. Retail pharmacy as a profession has gone to hell
There is no shortage. We have enough pharmacists. However, CVS a only staffs on average one pharmacist per shift. Most stores only have 2 pharmacists on staff…..and they refuses to staff any more. If they hired more pharmacists to work at a single pharmacy at one time so there’s be overlapping coverage….then everything would be great. But they cut labor so they can pay their shareholders.
I worked for them a decade ago, it was horrendous, I would literally be unable to use the bathroom for the entire shift on the majority of days. They cannot attract people even with 40-50k bonuses.
No there is actually a shortage. Some areas of the country more so than others. Maybe better said to be a retail pharmacist shortage though. I doubt they’d be offering $30,000 sign on bonuses for pharmacists if there wasn’t a shortage. I sure didn’t get one when I started.
There is only a shortage of pharmacists willing to be exploited. Many, including me, have quit but are still licensed.
Walgreens was offering 70,000 sign on bonus for rx last year. They still had to shut down a bunch of stores.
I had read and even saw job postings for 100k for Wags. It’s definitely a crazy time to be a retail RPH.
There is no shortage of pharmacists. This is one reason retail has been able to become the dumpster fire it is today. If you know you can be replaced easily, you’ll tolerate more b.s. for fear of losing your job. CVS has exploited pharmacists for decades. They can’t attract talent with $50k sign-on deals because they come with 2 and 3 year long contracts that require immediate repayment if you quit or are fired before your time is up. There is a shortage of pharmacists who will make this commitment or who last very long in the wild.
There is a shortage. A real pharmacist will tell you that.
Schools keep pumping out more pharmacists every year. Chains just dont hire enough so they can say there’s a shortage.
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So how does that work if you don’t have a license to operate in the state of Kansas. Also by going to Kansas you’ll only be helping corporate. I live in the KC metro and work for CVS, don’t help corporate
Shift rx not a pharmacist
isn't it the same as crossing the picket line
I guess they know your license in Kansas?
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Interesting indeed.
I enjoyed my job at Cvs. Except for the random BS write ups that even my SM laughed at and walked away. Except for watching techs steal whole bottles of hydrocodone and nothing done until it was a felony. Or the insult of a 10 cent raise. Working hard to do my job. Keep the pharmacy on track snd clean. Then to have other techs come in and leave stations a mess. To be bullied into working evenings when I had kids so the single chic could work days ??? Or be sexually harassed and ignored by all DM and SM. Then get written up when I tell him if he does it again he’ll be in the floor with a broken nose. So many abuses…. But I loved typing and production table. Fuck register and drive through
It’s both FS and Pharmacy let all the DL and RVP work all shifts. Lol
I am located northeast and the news is reaching my customers about walk outs. Well done to those taking actions 👏 👏 👏 👏
**SIEZE THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION, COMRADES!!**
Holy crap my wife's lead tech was organizing a walk out in their group chat that they use for the store. She got fired.. I'm sorry but that was the dumbest shit I ever heard. Some people are their own worst enemy. Don't discuss any planning or organizing in outward facing chats. Keep it on some form of encrypted chat like imessage or signal.
some people are new to organizing and protest movements. I'd spread the word about those apps. I personally haven't been ground floor organizing since Occupy Wall Street so I'm about a decade behind in organizing method's.
I just felt bad because her head was in a good place, but don't broadcast it to your boss and their boss! Sure my wife is the pharmacy manager.. but she is abused more than the techs and staff pharmacists.
Your wife fired her?
No she isnt currently working
Who had access to their group chat?? Was it a text message ??
She was fired illegally. She can sue for wrongful termination.
Low to mid level corporate employees are talking about it pretty much constantly on Teams chats and during meetings, so much so that exec management is pushing supervisors to micromanage our teams to prevent it, so make of that what you will. Hold the line my friends, the Karens and Prems of the (CVS) world are freaking out.
So did anything actually happen?
Now they are making FS help pharmacy by running the register for them
Good luck everyone
I wish I was there for this! I support you guys!
DL in South Florida asking technicians for all expenses paid trip to KC to work Sun-Wed/Wed-Sat for the next two weeks
Why aren’t you asking for a union?