Teamsters Back UFCW Grocery Pharmacists, Sanction ULP Strike Across Southern California

(Southern California) The following is a statement from Victor Mineros, President of Teamsters Joint Council 42, on the Unfair Labor Practice strike called by nearly 800 UFCW grocery pharmacists at Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons and Pavilions across Southern California.

“Pharmacists are often the final link in our vital healthcare worker ecosystem. When we are sick, when our children need medication or when we are caring for a loved one, pharmacists are often the last healthcare professional we speak with before going home. We trust them to make sure we have the right medication, and the information we need to take it safely. Their work requires focus, care and precision.

“Yet, many grocery pharmacists are being forced to do that work under unsafe staffing levels, crushing workloads, and intimidation from their employers. That is unacceptable for pharmacists, and it is dangerous for the patients and communities who depend on them.

“For more than nine months, these pharmacists have been fighting for a fair contract that puts patients and quality care first, with safe staffing, manageable workloads and wages that recognize the essential care they provide.”

“Ralphs and Albertsons have left these grocery pharmacists with an impossible choice: remain silent while corporations put pharmacists and patients at risk, or stand together and hold those corporations accountable. These workers would rather be behind the pharmacy counter caring for their patients than walking a picket line. Their employers have pushed them to this point.

“Now, as these workers put everything on the line, the more than 250,000 members of Teamsters Joint Council 42 stand with them. We stand with them in their fight for their patients. We stand with them in their fight for their colleagues. We stand with them in their fight for the dignity and respect every worker deserves. Their fight is our fight.

“Let me be absolutely clear to Ralphs, Albertsons and every employer watching: Teamsters don’t cross picket lines. Teamsters Joint Council 42 has sanctioned this strike, and our more than 250,000 members will honor these workers’ picket lines. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with our UFCW brothers and sisters for as long as it takes to win the fair contract they deserve.”

Teamsters Joint Council 42 unites 22 local unions representing more than 250,000 members and retirees across Southern California, Southern Nevada, Hawaii and Guam.