2024 CVS Bargaining Updates
June 28, 2024
We’ve just concluded another four days of bargaining with CVS. While we have reached agreement on some issues, the company continues to shoot down our reasonable offers for fair wages and affordable health care.
It is unacceptable that one of the most profitable healthcare companies in the industry, who compensated their CEO over $21 million in 2023, cannot offer decent wages and affordable health care to their employees. THEY ARE A HEALTHCARE COMPANY! We need a fair contract that honors the essential services we supply to our communities. We helped the company earn over $11 billion in profit last year. They can afford to do better!!
And we’ve been taking that message to the stores and to the streets.
Hundreds of CVS workers, supporters, and community leaders from across California participated in simultaneous rallies outside CVS pharmacies in Whittier and San Jose last Saturday. Watch the story on ABC 7 about the Whittier rally here:
We also rallied and got loud in the streets yesterday in Anaheim at a CVS store.
Today at bargaining we delivered thousands of workers’ signatures to the company demanding a contract that provides us a fair wage, safe staffing levels and affordable health care.
We are united and we will not back down.
What’s Next?
Our contract expires on Sunday, June 30, and the bargaining team has made the strategic decision not to agree to a contract extension because a contract extension would limit our ability to fight for the fair contract we deserve. We are NOT going to stop fighting for the wages and benefits that reflect our vital healthcare role and the staffing and store safety required to improve customers’ shopping experience.
Remember, when a contract expires, it doesn’t mean that our wages, benefits, or protections will end.
More bargaining dates have been added on July 11 and 12 where we will also be joined by a Federal Mediator, who will serve as a neutral party who can help us ensure that bargaining is productive and fair.
We also began negotiating our Pharmacy contracts this week. We have a bargaining committee of pharmacists from both newly organized stores as well as from stores that have been part of our union for many years ready to fight for what we deserve as healthcare professionals.
When the company sees us signing petitions, showing up to rallies, and engaging in bargaining, they know that we are determined to stand strong for a fair contract.
As always, if you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Steward, Union Rep, or Bargaining Committee Member.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW CVS Bargaining Committee
June 21, 2024
Today we concluded our bargaining session with CVS in Hayward, where the company gave us an insulting wage proposal and disrespected us at the table, calling us “unreasonable” for demanding a living wage.
Let us be clear: CVS’ insulting offers and disrespectful treatment will not be tolerated at the table or in the stores.
CVS is a billion dollar company – one of the most profitable in the country – and pays their CEO an exorbitant salary of over $21 million a year – while we endure near-poverty wages, inadequately expensive healthcare (which is ironic since they are a healthcare company), and unsafe staffing levels that risk our lives on the job.
What’s Next?
Tomorrow, we’re showing up and showing out for what we deserve, rallying across the state with hundreds of our union siblings at 11 am in Whittier, CA, and San Jose, CA, to show a united force of solidarity and strength. We’ll get loud to demand a fair contract that delivers us safe staffing levels and the wages and health benefits needed to raise healthy families.
If you haven’t already, make a plan to attend and RSVP here:
Whittier: https://bit.ly/CVSrally622
San Jose: https://bit.ly/CVSrally622SanJose
When the company sees us showing up to rallies, signing petitions, and engaging in bargaining, they’ll know that we are standing strong for a fair contract.
Our contract expires on June 30, and we’re ready to do what it takes to reach a Tentative Agreement by then.
We return to the bargaining table next week on Tuesday, June 25, and we will continue to push for productive and respectful bargaining sessions that will allow us to negotiate for the contract we deserve. We will not tolerate anything less.
As always, if you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Steward, Union Rep, or Bargaining Committee Member.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW CVS Bargaining Committee
June 5, 2024
Over three sessions this last week, we met with CVS for our second round of bargaining. At our previous bargaining session on May 23, we asked the company to show up with serious answers to our proposals that would move bargaining forward and allow us to reach an agreement on the fair contract that we deserve.
While we have reached a few agreements on minor issues, the company continues to shoot down our reasonable offers regarding our most important issues like safety and staffing. They refuse to discuss wages and continue to defend their staffing levels and safety training rather than listening to the people who are in the stores every day.
We’ve been clear with CVS: we want to reach a fair agreement by the time our contract expires on June 30. That’s why we gave them all of our proposals on the very first day of bargaining and why we expected them to come prepared to negotiate on the issues that affect our lives.
What’s Next?
We don’t meet with the company until June 20, so right now, it’s critical we send CVS a message loud and clear: We deserve a fair contract that delivers us safe staffing levels and the wages and health benefits needed to raise healthy families by the time our contract expires, and we’re ready to do what it takes to reach a Tentative Agreement by June 30.
That’s why we are rallying on Saturday, June 22, at 11 am in Whittier, Ca, and San Jose, Ca, to show a united force of solidarity and strength so they know we are not going to accept anything less than what we deserve. Make a plan to attend and RSVP here: https://bit.ly/CVSrally622
Your Stewards, Union Reps, and Bargaining Committee members have also been circulating a petition in every one of our stores. Thousands of us have already signed, but if you haven’t had the chance, now is the time to make sure your voice is heard.
When the company sees us showing up to rallies, signing petitions, and engaging in bargaining, they’ll know that we are standing strong for a fair contract.
We will continue to push for productive bargaining sessions that will allow us to negotiate for the contract we deserve. As always, if you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Steward, Union Rep, or Bargaining Committee Member.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW CVS Bargaining Committee
ESPAÑOL
¡Haz oír tu voz!
Compañero de CVS,
En las tres sesiones de esta última semana, nos reunimos con CVS en nuestra segunda ronda de negociaciones. En nuestra previa sesión de negociaciones del 23 de mayo, pedimos a la compañía presentarse con respuestas serias a nuestras propuestas, que hicieran avanzar las negociaciones y nos permitieran lograr un acuerdo del contrato justo que nos merecemos.
Aunque hemos logrado algunos acuerdos en temas menores, la compañía sigue rechazando nuestras ofertas razonables relacionadas a nuestros temas más importantes como seguridad y suficiente personal. Ellos se niegan a negociar sobre sueldos y continúan defendiendo sus niveles de personal y entrenamiento de seguridad en lugar de escuchar a las personas que están en las tiendas todos los días.
Hemos sido claros con CVS: queremos lograr un contrato justo para la fecha en que vence nuestro contrato el 30 de junio. Por eso les dimos todas nuestras propuestas desde el primer día de negociaciones y la razón por la que esperábamos que ellos llegaran preparados para negociar sobre los temas que afectan nuestras vidas.
¿Qué sigue?
No nos reuniremos con la compañía hasta el 20 de junio, entonces ahorita es crucial que mandemos a CVS un mensaje fuerte y claro:Merecemos un contrato justo que nos de niveles de personal seguros y los salarios y beneficios de salud que necesitamos para mantener a nuestras familias saludables para la fecha que vence nuestro contrato y estamos listos para hacer lo que sea necesario para lograr un Acuerdo Tentativo para el 30 de junio.
Por eso llevaremos a cabo una manifestación el Sábado 22 de Junio, a las 11am en Whittier y San José para mostrar una fuerza unida de solidaridad y fortaleza para que ellos sepan que no vamos a aceptar nada menos de lo que nos merecemos. Haz planes para asistir y regístrate aquí:
Whittier: https://bit.ly/CVSrally622
Tus Delegados, representantes de la Unión y miembros del Comité de Negociaciones también han estado haciendo circular una petición en cada una de nuestras tiendas. Miles de nosotros ya hemos firmado, pero si no has tenido la oportunidad, ahora es el momento de asegurarte de que se escuche tu voz.
Cuando la compañía nos vea asistiendo a manifestaciones, firmando peticiones y negociando, sabrán que nos mantenemos firmes en favor de un contrato justo.
Continuaremos presionando para lograr sesiones de negociación productivas que nos permitan negociar el contrato que merecemos. Como siempre, si tienes alguna pregunta sobre la negociación o si hay algo en lo que podamos ayudarte, no dudes en comunicarte con tu Delegado, Representante de la Unión o miembro del Comité de Negociaciones.
En Solidaridad,
Tu Comité de Negociaciones de UFCW y CVS
May 31, 2024
May 23, 2024
What happened during our first bargaining session?
On May 23, we met with CVS for our very first day of bargaining. We showed up at the table as a strong, united force of proud, essential CVS members and UFCW union representatives who are ready to fight for the contract we rightfully deserve. We began the bargaining session by presenting all of our proposals, including fair pay and benefits that reflect our essential work, safe staffing levels that prevent theft and burnout, and affordable and comprehensive health benefits to keep us well.
We made our priorities explicit. We told the company we deserve safe staffing levels and the wages and health benefits needed to raise healthy families. We are demanding a fair contract that respects our essential work that reflects our vital healthcare role and the staffing and store safety required to improve customers’ shopping experience.
CVS refused to give us their economic proposals today and was more concerned about protecting the company than giving us what we deserve.
What’s next?
We will meet again with the company on May 31 for our second round of bargaining. In the meantime, the company will review the proposals we submitted, and we will continue to urge them to come back to the table with serious offers that recognize the value of our work.
Our contract is set to expire on June 30.
When a contract expires, it doesn’t mean that our wages, benefits, or protections will end. However, we will push CVS to reach an agreement with us on the contract we deserve by the day our contract expires.
In order to make a strong contract possible, we must stay united, strong, and engaged. Whether we’re at the bargaining table or in the stores, we have the power to show the company that we’re serious about our proposals and that we’re ready to stand together to get a strong contract.
If you have any questions about bargaining, or if there is anything we can help you with, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Steward, Union Rep, or Bargaining Committee Member.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW CVS Bargaining Committee
May 20, 2024
Join UFCW Tuesday May 28 at 9AM and 7PM for a webinar regarding our upcoming contract campaign with CVS.
Our contract expires June 30, 2024, and now is the time to stand together to ensure you get the safe staffing levels you deserve and the wages and health benefits you need to raise healthy families.
Register here for the 9AM call ufcw324.org/CVS-0528-9am
Register here for the 7PM call ufcw324.org/CVS-0528-7pm
Fill out this google form ahead of time to let us know what questions you want answered on these webinars: ufcw324.org/CVS-webinar-questions
