CVS workers are striking at seven stores in Southern California for better pay and health care

LOS ANGELES – Workers at seven CVS pharmacies in Southern California have gone on strike to demand better pay and health care and to protest what they say is the company's malicious collective bargaining practices.

The strike, which affected four stores in Los Angeles and three in Orange County, began Friday morning and continued into the weekend. On Saturday, strikers outside one of the stores in LA asked customers not to cross the picket line.

Melissa Acosta, a pharmacy technician who serves on the collective bargaining committee, accused the company of “intimidating workers, watching them and preventing them from speaking to union representatives.”

The affected CVS locations remained open and were staffed with managers and non-union employees.

Workers planned to continue picketing until negotiations resume on Wednesday. The strike was approved on September 29 by a vote of the two local unions involved, United Food and Commercial Workers, with more than 90% approval.

“We are disappointed that our fellow UFCW members have gone on strike in a select number of locations in the Los Angeles area,” company spokeswoman Amy Thibault said in a statement.

Thibault said CVS has made progress toward drafting a final contract and has made “tentative agreements” to increase wages and increase the company's health insurance premiums.

Acosta said she was unable to pay the cost of insurance offered by CVS and was instead enrolled in the state's Covered California program.

“In my nine years at CVS, I could never afford their health insurance,” she said.

Large pharmacy chains across the country are struggling with costs and online competition. CEO Karen Lynch of CVS Health, the chain's owner, recently resigned as shares fell 19%. CVS is nearing the end of a three-year plan to close 900 stores.

According to the union, CVS pharmacy technicians, who must complete an extensive training program and meet licensing requirements, currently earn $24.90 an hour after five years on the job.

Carlos Alfaro, a technician who joined the strike, said stores were understaffed at the start of flu season.

“We have to call (patients) constantly to get flu shots and expedite vaccinations,” Alfaro said. “That’s a lot of extra work that’s expected of us on top of filling the medications at the pharmacy.”

Many stores are increasingly locking up items as a measure to combat shoplifting, forcing customers to seek help from employees. Workers say this is exacerbating the problem of staff shortages.

“There are so many customers who don’t get help and are constantly waiting to get something unlocked,” Acosta said. “They think we just don’t want to help them, when in reality the company doesn’t give us enough staff to provide great customer service.”

Workers are also demanding, among other things, better security in stores.