Yesterday the Pharmacy Guild, a "a union of health care professionals within the powerful International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)," announced a significant milestone: it's unionized a Walgreens for the first time! The vote—taken at a Vancouver, Washington store—was apparently unanimous. It also comes on the heels of 6 CVS stores unionizing.
The reasons for unionizing are unsurprising given the crisis in pharmacies since COVID-19 began:
Pharmacy professionals at the Vancouver Walgreens cited excessive workloads, chronic short staffing, and the increasing pressures of handling high prescription volumes while also juggling vaccination appointments as key drivers behind their decision to unionize. The unanimous vote reflects a collective determination to ensure that patient safety and the well-being of pharmacy staff are prioritized over corporate profits.