Without a central organizing body, it is also difficult to confirm how many pharmacies will be closed. Instead, pharmacy employees are using platforms like Reddit and Facebook, as well as email and fliers, to plan walkouts. Unlike the WGA and United Auto Worker strikes, there is no union leader to coordinate and publicly address the movement. Some managers reported receiving calls encouraging them to participate in the walkouts and others issues warnings to their staff against speaking to the media.Ī Walgreens representative said on Monday that the company understands “the immense pressures felt across the US in retail pharmacy right now,” and that they are “are engaged and listening to the concerns raised by some of our team members.”

In a text message thread reviewed by CNN, managers reported a flurry of pharmacy closures and asked for extra coverage to stay open. Still, regional Walgreens leadership is struggling to keep some locations functioning on the West Coast. Walgreens told CNN in a statement that “a small number of our pharmacies are experiencing disruptions and we apologize for any inconvenience.” Walgreens said it is “working to return these pharmacies to regular operations as quickly as possible,” adding that the vast majority of pharmacies remain open. Some stores said they were able to operate only their drive-thru pharmacy Monday and others said they would be closing early due to a lack of staff. Many pharmacies that are open are severely understaffed as the majority of their employees called out today. Some stores are remaining open with a skeleton emergency crew – an organizer told CNN that Walgreens had asked regional leaders to mobilize and staff the pharmacies on Monday. Pharmacists, technicians and support staff are planning walkouts from Monday through Wednesday, an organizer who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of retribution, confirmed to CNN.

Pharmacy staff at some Walgreens stores locked their gates and walked out Monday, citing harsh working conditions that make it difficult to safely fill prescriptions.ĬNN confirmed pharmacy closures at some Walgreens locations in Arizona, Washington, Massachusetts and Oregon, and pharmacy staff and customers are posting to social media that other closures are taking place throughout the country.

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