California Essential CVS Workers Rally for Fair Pay, Affordable Healthcare and More Ahead of Contract Expiration

On June 22, hundreds of essential CVS workers from across California along with their supporters rallied at a CVS pharmacy in Whittier to launch their contract campaign advocating for fair pay and benefits, safe staffing levels, and affordable and comprehensive healthcare benefits for 7,000 CVS workers, ahead of their June 30 contract expiration.

CVS is one of the most profitable healthcare companies in the country. In 2023, CVS reported a staggering net operating income of $11.173 billion, yet many of its workers continue to struggle with basic necessities like paying rent, buying food, and affording their own healthcare. 

CVS workers are also faced with challenges stemming from short staffing, increasing workplace violence, and shoplifting which put customers’ as well as workers’ lives at risk.

As essential providers of health care services to the community, CVS employees play a critical role in filling prescriptions and promoting the health and well-being of families and communities. Ironically, these same employees are often unable to access affordable healthcare for themselves and their families, despite working for a prominent healthcare company. 

“I pay $700 a month for me and my wife’s healthcare coverage. Deductibles are sky-high,” said Terrance Bacon, a pharmacy technician at CVS in El Monte and bargaining team member representing UFCW Local 1428. “Often, I hesitate taking care of my own health so my wife can get healthcare because she needs it more than I do, even though at my age, I’m supposed to also get regular checkups and medical care. It’s pretty frustrating to realize that I work for a healthcare provider and our health is not their priority.”

“CVS Health has no heart. How else do you describe a multi-billion dollar healthcare company who forces their woefully underpaid and understaffed workers into choosing between paying for rent or healthcare because the company’s own benefit program is obscenely expensive?,” said Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. “This is not just a failing of the company; it is a betrayal of its core mission. As a healthcare provider, CVS has a responsibility to ensure its employees have access to comprehensive and affordable healthcare. We demand better for all CVS workers.”

“CVS workers have the backing and support of the three million democrats in LA County who will stand in solidarity with them in their fight for a fair contract,” said Mark Ramos, Chair of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party and President of UFCW 1428. “It’s time for CVS to recognize, respect, and pay up.”

Eight UFCW Locals in California (5,135, 324, 648, 770, 1167, 1428, and 1442) make up the CVS contract in California, representing 7,000 hard-working UFCW members. The members represented under this contract, which expires on June 30, work in essential retail drug stores spanning from Northern California to the U.S.-Mexico border. 

The goal of the UFCW Locals’ coordinated negotiation effort is to secure a contract that provides fair wages for essential CVS workers and improved safety and security for both customers and workers.