"Shame on Walgreens" labor dispute takes to streets nationwide

[Liberty Belle]

Source: East County Magazine

September 22, 2010 (Santee)—Outside Walgreens pharmacy in Santee today, local carpenters held a banner reading “Shame on Walgreens.”


“This is a nationwide campaign,” Ian Law, a representative of Carpenters Union Local 1506, told East County Magazine. “Walgreens has decided to use non-union contractors and sub-contractors to do remodeling and construction of Walgreens stores around the nation,” he said. Non-union contractors may avoid paying healthcare and pension benefits to workers, also paying lower wages that threaten the quality of life for workers and their families, Law added.


Times are tough in the construction industry locally. “Construction’s been dropping and nothing new is being put on the books,” Law noted, adding that multiple construction trades have joined forces to ask the public to help persuade Walgreen to reverse its policies.


A flyer handed out by the carpenters said Walgreens is contributing to “desecration of the American way of life” by eroding area standards for carpenter craft workers.The flyer suggests that Walgreens is cutting costs on labor in order to generate funds to pay for millions of dollars in settlements and jury verdicts against the company for cutting corners on other areas, including public safety. For example:



Read more: http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/4293

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Why is there virtually nothing in the national news about this? A Google search turned up only a handful of stories in small local publications or blogs.

Walgreens has a bad track record in other ways, including getting nailed for switching patients to higher-cost prescriptions and worse, providing the wrong prescription medications, resulting in deaths. The company has also settled lawsuits for many millions of bucks which alleged that Walgreens discriminated on the basis of race and engaged in deceptive marketing.

Want to voice your views? CEO names and phone number are in the story. Please post comments on ECM's website, too, and let Walgreens know how you feel!

[AuntPatsy]

1. The busting of Unions have been our downfall regardless of what some believe...

not everyone deals with the truth well, so kicking and recommending.....hope it makes the greatest page..some only view that one since we are a bit overrun with ummm well infiltrators more so than before...

[senseandsensibility]

2. k and r

eom

[Bluenorthwest]

3. Well that explains it...

last week I drove intentionally to Walgreen's for a specific item, and the banner and picketers were out so I turned around and drove to an alternate store. Had no idea what the details were, so thanks for posting this.

[defendandprotect]

4. Also a small union/teamers demonstration at a Shoprite Liquor store -- big place ...

in our town -- 8 or 10 --

[Travis_0004]

5. If I saw those protestors in front of a Walgreens by me, I would go inside and find something to buy

I'm fine with legitimate labor complaints, but in this case, Unions are just trying to bully people into bidding on Union contracts.

Walgreens chose a non union company to remodel some stores. Big deal. Who knows what the benefits are for the company. They could be great. I work for a non union company, and I am quite happy.

Should every single contract for any job be union? I'm fine with Unions working to get better wages, but I have little tolerence for them bitching when they don't get a contract.

[dogfacedboy]

8. This makes you a scab. Only scabs cross picket lines.

[Travis_0004]

9. Their not even walgreens employees

They are probably (non union) temps who are hired to stand there and hold a sign.

If an employee of a company has a complaint, that is one thing, but if somebody who is not even employed by the company wants to protest, than they are welcome to, but don't blame me if I don't care.

[zogofzorkon]

10. You bring the blame upon yourself by not caring ,

[Bill McBlueState]

11. +1

Nice to hear people still calling a scab a scab.

[fascisthunter]

15. you don't have to care, many others already do

go spend your money just because.... you'll show them!

[jdadd]

6. K&R.......

I've never crossed a picket line and never will........

[Liberty Belle]

7. Me either. Those who do so undermine workers everywhere.

[Bombero1956]

12. I have to wonder

How many people on DU who won't cross a picket line set up by a union drive Toyotas, Hondas, Nissans or any of the other "American made" cars built down south. I say this because if you do (and I'm not speaking specifically about anyone in this thread) your concern about union workers rings hollow.

[Travis_0004]

13. So do you own 100% union made goods?

[Bombero1956]

16. I do not, but then again that's kind of impossible these days

I do my food shopping at a union supermarket (UFCW Local 1459). I recently had electrical work done on my house and hired a union electrician (IBEW Local 7). I had my porches rebuilt and hired a union carpenter (Carpenters Union Local 108). My car was built in Michigan in a UAW factory and I have never crossed a picket line.

[Techn0Girl]

14. "Why is there virtually nothing in the national news about this? "

Because all the mainstream media is owned by just a handful of large Corps - all of whom are anti-Union.