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Cure CVS Now

Cure CVS logo

Today we at Change to Win announced the launch of a new campaign targeting the inadequacies of the country’s largest retail pharmacy chain. Cure CVS is a coalition of community groups, researchers, activists and union members who hope to see CVS change its company policies that hurt consumers and communities across the country. The aim of the campaign is to ensure that CVS provides equal access across all communities and income levels to its stores and services, offers fair and accurate prices, provides quality products and services, protects customers’ privacy and puts quality pharmacy care first.

At the launch, the campaign also released the group has also just published the results of a 14 month study of the pharmacy retail chain in its new report: “Cure CVS: From low quality to high prices, CVS is failing our communities.” Researchers visited CVS stores across the country, and the report sheds light on company-wide policies that negatively impact low income, non-white shoppers and communities.

You can download the report, learn more about the campaign and join their e-activist program by visiting the campaign’s new Web site, CureCVSNow.org.

Comments (7)

Comments posted to CtW Connect are the sole property of the individual posting them, and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints of Change to Win, its affiliated unions, or its leadership.

CVS to Pay More than $250,000 to Settle FLSA Allegations
CVS Pharmacy, Inc. has agreed to pay $226,598 in penalties and $38,151 in back wages after the Department of Labor accused the company of violating the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

The department says after previous investigations found violations at some of the company's retail pharmacies, the department took a more comprehensive look at CVS locations throughout the Northeast this year. A total of 63 CVS stores, located in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, were checked for compliance with the FLSA.

The department says its investigation revealed that 78 minors were exposed to the hazards of loading/unloading/operation of cardboard compactors/balers at various CVS locations; seven minors employed in violation of the law's time standards; and 51 employees were due a total of $38,151 in back wages, mostly because of the improper editing of their timecards by store managers.

Of the 63 sites investigated, 43 stores had FLSA wage and/or youth employment violations, the department says. For the youth employment violations, the Wage and Hour Division has assessed CVS a total of $215,378 and, for the wage violations, a total of $11,220 in fines.

This article shows the extent in which CVS/CareMark Corporation is prepared to go in
order to cover up the truth by masking problems
and cheating the hard working Americans.
I guess JH has something against hard working
AMERICANS having Rights.
JH said
"Good to see Labor Groups wanting to do for pharmacies what they've done for the Big 3 Automakers. Keep it up...I'm sure you can bankrupt another industry."
You must be a company executive !!!
CVS/CareMark Coperation with poor
business and ethical practices that are Simple continue to make profit from CUSTOMERS and EMPLOYEES.
WE STRIVE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF OUR PROFITS
ABOVE EVERYTHING ELSE.
that is the CVS Mission.

Jorge Martinez

Employees Wife said on April 9, 2009 at 9:05 PM:

Just a quick glance into the life of a CVS Manager. Works at least 65 hours per week. In central NC a DM Jay Barefoot held a meeting and made all managers sign they were not working over 45 hours a week.Many managers are working their vacations trying to get caught up with higher ups demands.... threatened constantly with their jobs.... Lack of hours is serious... anybody can do the math on hours of operation versus given hours for regular employees and figure out a 45 hour work week is impossible. male and female managers are expected to unload trucks. Lunches are never taken by managers.. there would at time be no coverage if they took one... some work all day with out even a bathroom break. Corporate greed and total disregard for employee guidelines has lead to this. They have told employees if they talk to the union they will be dismissed immediantly. What NC needs is a few managers with balls to get some really good lawyers and take CVS to it's knees.If anywhere ever needed the union it's here. In this economy they have managed to terrify people to speak.... They are abusive in many ways and need to be stopped. Please send help... especially to central NC. I will write more as it happens maybe somebody will read my post that can help change this ridiculous corporate greed.

Kristin said on April 23, 2009 at 3:49 AM:

I have worked at CVS for a little over a year now and I must say all this is BS. Do any of you people have any idea what it takes to run a store like this? I think that what is being said about CVS is horrible. This is one of the best companies I have ever worked for. They take care of their employees. People saying they have 'misleading advertising' are just stupid and dont know whow to read. I have found more often then not people dont LOOK at what a sticker says and I have to walk them back over and show them. Example: A price tag will say '$5.99' and have $2.00 off underneath it and people will think its two dollars because they are not reading. so let me ask this...is the store to suffer for customers who dont want to take responsibility for being ignorant? and the comments about CVS being a racist store? total BS. you think because condoms are locked up that it has something to do with people of 'color'? my store is in a neighborhood of color and ours are not locked up. we do however have razorblades and some $150+ toothbrushes locked up but not because we are in a 'colored' community, its because THEY GET STOLEN A LOT. Do you think if something is a high theft item we are just going to leave it out to be stolen? would you? i mean honestly...any point made to this whole campign can be countered with a little common sense. Wise up people, this is candyland where everything is sunshine and rainbows. People steal so things get locked up. PERIOD.

I work for a cvs around greenwich CT. Been with cvs for 14 years now..all ic an say is, i agree with it being a miserable corporate pharmacy. My store, hires illegal immigrants, the manager is nice to them..i but my hump all over, barely get enough time to eat, adn get treated like a shoe being scraped on the curb. IM a shift supervisor. Ive gone to human resources, a few times, and instore manager talked me out of it..so now, i can be pushed out the door, for going to human resources..which means he isnt doing his job.
Ie had a muslim pharmacist try to expose himself to me in backroom, and i have been foced into a corner manyt imes, yelled at and talked down too, and human resources, and the DM of course, take the managers side. Its more a barabric place to work..providing yuor not caucasian of course. All the store has taught me, is how to be racist.. per manager. I have gone to my local board of labor, and thiers nothing they can do, unless it was sexual harrassemnt..but outside of that, at least in the state of CT, its not illegal to harras an employee.
CVS standards have gone don the drain over the past decade. Our newer DM, is bringing in his favorite managers, from walgreens..the sick thing is, i had heard, he was let go form walgreens for sexual harraasment! makes ya wonder...a pharmacy that caters and greets its customers..but does the direct opposite to the employees. Ive even seen alcohol stored in the brakeroom!

Wow, Jason your whole paragraph sounds like a lie. Where you "work around", your whole racist taughnt on your Muslim "very important discreption" Who "tried to expose himself to you." I don't know what you can say about a person who has worked for cvs for 14 years and is not a store manager. And if all these things are going on and you didn't sue or fight or quit sounds like you don't have a lot going on upstairs in the brain department. CVS just like all retailers follow a code of chain of command and indoor policies and some even provide confidential ethics lines to assist people in everyone of your situations. Everyone also sign Sexual Harrassment papers this so you can easily be transfered or terminated when accusations arise so that honest people don't feel like victims at their jobs. If CT is the real reason why your life sucks right now then...oh do I have to tell you everything.
As far as employees wife is concerned her husbands job is always threatened because of activists like this who make corporatations push down harder on those they hired to run their buisness. Obviously just like owning any buisness it is demanding and stressful. Especially if you want it to be successful and profitable so you can earn a nice bonus. I love how you said some managers with "balls" especially when you are writing this for your husband. I bet your a democratic housewife who sits around all day while your husband breaks his back for an honest living for you and your family. While you want a hand out for all that you do. Because Americans deserve everything for nothing.
This website is PATHETIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe you should harass companies who use julienne codes for expirations , or why some companies have born on dates, and why have best if used by, or sell by, and if it says expired was it truly expired was it tested and proven it will do harm. Probably not. Did the manufacturers of these products say will cause ham if digested or ingested beyond expiration date probably not.

jason said on May 30, 2009 at 9:35 AM:

Well R, seeing it sounds like yuor not a cvs employee, you have little helpfull info for anyone here..Why would i lie? I have no reason too.. where i am, this is how it works, and i know cause ive gone through it a few times...I talk to the human resources manager, the DM, incaase yuor not intelligent to know what DM is, its District manager...he finds out, then uses it against you, too push yuo out the door, they want NO complaints..they want obiedient low payed workers. Ive been cornered and threatened, talked dwon too, and have legal resiodncy, unlike most thier. For the record, Jason is a mans name, not a womans name..in case yuo havnt been paying muych attention, as it shows...
Where i am, the manager gets what he wants, or lets yuo go..whcih is totaly unfair and illegal. But i am DEF gunna shoot my state labor department and useless ethics line another shuot out for help, rather than work in that nazi death camp..its sad and amazing, how cvs says helping customers one at a time..but abuses its employees...
read the results atop of page, of all the backwages..i am all too famliar with it. Really R, if this website is pathetic, maybe you shouldnt be here at all..yuor not helping you know.

jason said on May 30, 2009 at 9:38 AM:

CVS does follow a chain of command..butits instore, and to protect other managers who dont wanna loose thier jobs, knowing theyve done illegal crap. Yes, a msulim guy near exposing himself, and you saying its a lie, yuo sound like someone who would lie and cover up a rape or murder. Just my 2 cents, but really, rather thann investigate a crime, yuode jsut let it happen or overlook it..tsk tsk tsk

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