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These Grocery Pharmacists Are Rallying For Fair Wages and Staff Increases
Pharmacists from various grocery store chains around L.A. are rallying today for wage increases and hiring of more staff.
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Courtesy URCW770 Twitter
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Pharmacy workers and supporters rallied Tuesday in West Hollywood to demand a fair contract. The action came several months into contract negotiations between the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union and major grocery chains.
The previous contract ended back in March.
Workers are calling for higher wages, guaranteed health coverage for part time workers, and sufficient staffing at Albertsons, Vons, Ralphs, and Pavilions locations.
Jessica Browley says long hours working as a pharmacist, coupled with an overwhelming workload, has taken its toll.
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"I work by myself for four hours everyday Monday through Friday and on weekends I work completely alone," Browley said.
She said having no backup can be stressful.
"So I'm doing all this ... sometimes multitasking ... and being distracted ... going to a million places at once and I'm scared I'm going to make a mistake," Browley said, "and I know my colleagues feel the same."
Pharmacist are standing up and standing together to show the company’s that they are worth more!
— UFCW770 (@UFCW770) June 28, 2022
•Better staffing
•Increased wages
•Guaranteed hours for part-time
A better contract that reflect these needs are essential for Pharmacists & their patients! #NowItsOurShot#1u pic.twitter.com/xgFx44F9D4
Contract negotiations are set to resume in a couple of weeks.
According to the UCFW 770 website, the union represents 31,000 member in "healthcare, retail health, grocery, packing and cannabis" industries.
We've reached out Kroger and Albertsons and will update this story if we get a response.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
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