CVS Pharmacists in Three States Cite Unsafe Staffing as They Clear the First Step Toward a Strike

Unionized CVS pharmacy workers in Rhode Island, California, and Arizona have voted to approve a strike sanction, citing staffing levels they describe as unsafe for patients and unsustainable for staff. The vote passed by wide margins: 90.3 percent in Rhode Island, where CVS is headquartered, 96.7 percent in California, and 100 percent in Arizona. Pharmacy staffing is also regulated unevenly. Eight stores in Rhode Island, California, and Arizona, including four in Rhode Island, according to the Boston Globe. CVS says there will be no interruption of service even if a work stoppage is approved.