Walgreens pharmacy workers plan walkout in U.S. stores

Business

By Reuters

Employees at some Walgreens stores in the United States, including pharmacists, technicians and support staff, are planning a walkout between Monday and Wednesday, CNN reported Friday, citing an organizer.

Some employees plan to opt out for a day, while others plan to close their pharmacies for all three days, the network said, citing employees in three states.

The walkout follows what pharmacy workers call heavy prescribing and vaccination expectations placed on pharmacists, the report said.

Reuters could not immediately reach employees involved in the reported action for comment.

Walgreens said in an emailed response that it is engaged and listening to concerns raised by some members of its team.

“We are investing significantly in pharmacist salaries and hiring bonuses to attract/retain talent in harder-to-staff locations,” the company said.

In the largest-ever strike in the U.S. health care sector, Kaiser Permanente nurses, medical technicians and support staff walked out for 72 hours at hospitals and clinics this week.

The strike by 75,000 workers ended Friday when both sides agreed to resume stalled contract negotiations, although union officials warned of possible new strikes.