The proposed labor action does not have a union leader, so details on how many stores and workers could be affected are not available, but an organizer told CNN more than 500 of the chain’s 9,000 stores expressed interest in participating.
Some pharmacy workers said they plan to walk out all three days, while others plan to only close doors Oct. 9.
Organizers cited rising burnout and unheard complaints as the reason for the walkout.
“It’s a hard job on a good day. It’s an incredibly rewarding job, but it’s hard,” Amanda Applegate, PharmD, interim executive director of the Kansas Pharmacists Association, told CNN. “And so the idea of pharmacists essentially being turned into ATMs in these environments, encouraging volume over quality, is why this is happening.”
A spokesperson told the outlet that Walgreens leadership understands the increased pressure on the job and is listening to employees’ concerns.
In late September, at least 22 CVS pharmacies in the Kansas City metro area were temporarily closed after pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and support staff called out of work. The locations reopened Sept. 28 after CVS executives flew to Kansas City and agreed to provide additional staffing and paid overtime.
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