CVS workers in Southern California have had enough, hitting the picket lines on October 19, 2024, in a strike action aimed at better pay, improved healthcare, and fair treatment at the bargaining table. The walkout, which kicked off Friday morning, affects seven stores—four in Los Angeles and three in Orange County—and continued into the weekend, with no signs of slowing down until negotiations resume midweek.
One of the loudest voices on the picket line was Melissa Acosta, a pharmacy technician and part of the bargaining team. She didn’t mince words, accusing CVS of “intimidating workers, observing them, and interfering with their ability to talk to union reps.” Clearly, frustration has been boiling over.
As customers approached a Los Angeles CVS on Saturday, strikers urged them to respect the picket line and take their business elsewhere. The workers, backed by two United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) local branches, overwhelmingly voted in favor of the strike on September 29, with over 90% giving it the green light.
CVS spokesperson Amy Thibault claims the company has been making strides in negotiations, even reaching tentative agreements on pay raises and boosting health insurance contributions. But the workers on the ground say it’s not enough, especially with understaffing making flu season even more chaotic.
Carlos Alfaro, another pharmacy technician on strike, summed it up: “We’re already short-staffed, and now we’ve got to push flu shots and vaccines while filling meds? It’s too much.”
For now, the picket lines remain strong as CVS workers fight for the wages and working conditions they say they deserve.
