Posts Categorized: Organizing

On April 29, occupational, physical and speech therapists at 12 Kaiser Permanente locations in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia joined UFCW Locals 27 and 400 for a better life.

UFCW Local 400 will represent 63 of the workers at ten facilities in the DMV region and UFCW Local 27 will represent 17 workers at two facilities in Woodlawn and Nottingham in Baltimore County.

“We couldn’t be more proud to welcome these health care professionals to our union family,” said UFCW Local 400 President Mark Federici. “As the country came to recognize over the course of the pandemic, these essential workers not only need, but also deserve, all of the benefits and protections of a union contract.”

“We were overwhelmed by the support,” said UFCW Local 27 President Jason Chorpenning. “Nearly everyone we talked to supported the union immediately. It was truly inspiring to see, and we look forward to working closely with our new union brothers and sisters.”

Both locals already count Kaiser Permanente employees among their ranks. In the DMV region, UFCW Local 400 represents 1,500 Kaiser Permanente workers at 36 facilities in Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and in Frederick, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland. The employees serve as nurses, audiologists, anesthetists, physician assistants, nutritionists, and in other health care positions. In the Baltimore region, UFCW Local 27 represents 350 nurses, medical technicians,  social workers, behavioral health therapists and case managers at nine Kaiser Permanente facilities in Baltimore, Harford, and Anne Arundel counties in Maryland.

On April 18, pharmacists at 10 Walgreens stores in Berkeley, Richmond, San Pablo, El Cerrito, El Sobrante and Pinole, Calif., joined UFCW Local 5 for a better life. The 14 pharmacists are the first group of Walgreens workers to unionize in the Bay Area in 40 years.

These Walgreens pharmacists joined our union family because they were concerned about stagnant raises, low minimum starting rates, retention of talent, and the need to increase pharmacy professionals’ voices in patient and workplace safety. They also wanted to improve their benefits. Despite the company’s repeated union-busting tactics to stop the organizing effort, these workers stood together for better wages and benefits and a voice in the workplace. They are now looking forward to negotiating their first union contract.

“Walgreens leadership has proven itself untrustworthy in governing our working conditions, our compensation, and our benefits,” said Jacob Koontz, a Walgreens staff pharmacist in El Cerrito and a member of the organizing committee. “We must now work together to improve our careers and to help give hope to the future of the profession. A union is our best way forward.”

“We look forward to having pharmacists join the ranks of UFCW Local 5 to improve patient care at retail pharmacies across Northern California,” said UFCW Local 5 President John Nunes.

The UFCW represents over 4,400 Walgreens and Duane Reade workers nationwide. Duane Reade is owned by Walgreens Boots Alliance.