Title: Walgreens Pharmacy Employees Stage Nationwide Walkout Over Unsafe Working Conditions
Date: [Insert Date]
Location: [Insert Location]
Some Walgreens Pharmacy employees, including those in the Twin Cities metro area, initiated a three-day walkout on Monday morning, impacting approximately 500 stores across the United States. The walkout is a direct response to what employees consider “unsafe working conditions” within the company.
This protest comes in the wake of a similar walkout by CVS employees in Kansas City two weeks ago, which resulted in the company’s commitment to improving staffing levels. A senior-level spokesperson acknowledged that a small number of Walgreens pharmacies were experiencing disruptions, but most of the company’s 9,000 locations continued to serve patients and customers as usual.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS confirmed that at least two pharmacy technicians at the Plymouth store on Vicksburg Lane called out of work on Monday morning. One of the absent employees, Erin Prizant, stated that the two technicians accounted for half of the store’s full-time staff. Prizant expressed concerns about patient and employee safety, placing the blame on the corporate employer rather than local management.
Although the Vicksburg Lane pharmacy confirmed the presence of walkouts, they did not disclose the exact number. However, Prizant claimed that the usual staffing level was insufficient to fulfill the daily expectation of processing 300-400 prescriptions. She stated that the store typically had one pharmacist and two, if not three, technicians, which led to immense pressure and fatigue.
Prizant, along with two other anonymous Walgreens employees, cited a recent hurdle imposed by corporate, which involved meeting the new expectation of completing two vaccine appointments every 15 minutes. They emphasized that this timeframe was too short to ensure patient safety and expressed the fear of making critical mistakes. Prizant shared a personal incident where she accidentally gave herself a needle stick due to exhaustion, prompting concerns about potential health consequences.
The employees reported that corporate had not provided a clear rationale for this increased productivity expectation and revealed that in November, the requirement would be reverted to one appointment every 15 minutes. In the meantime, Prizant and others participating in the walkout hope to demonstrate to corporate the urgent need for a higher staffing budget and greater transparency.
When questioned about her decision to remain with the company, Prizant expressed her genuine love for working in a retail pharmacy. However, she believed that improvements were necessary to ensure the wellbeing of employees and provide the best care for patients.
In response to the walkout, a Walgreens spokesperson acknowledged the pressures faced by retail pharmacy employees across the country. The company expressed a commitment to addressing the concerns raised by its team members, stating that significant investments in pharmacist wages and hiring bonuses were being made to attract and retain talent.
Despite attempts to contact other Walgreens Pharmacy locations in the metro area, none were willing to confirm or deny the occurrence of walkouts.
As the three-day walkout continues, it remains to be seen whether Walgreens will address the employees’ grievances and work towards improving the working conditions in their pharmacies nationwide.