UFCW 770 Pharmacist Bargaining Updates
May 12 Pharmacist Bargaining Update
“Pharmacists need a contract that reflects their value” - Our patients stand with us
We were out in front of stores engaging with patients while the companies wasted time at the bargaining table
We met with Albertsons and Ralphs for two days of bargaining this week and not much movement was made. We’ve told them over and over that staffing is a huge priority for not just us, but also our patients, and they don’t seem to care.
So we took our fight to the stores.
Today, our bargaining committee members were joined by customers and co-workers, as well as pharmacists not on the bargaining committee in front of the Albertsons in Buena Park. The turnout was HUGE to talk to patients, and survey them about wait times, staffing conditions, and medication safety. Actions will continue next week, after which, we’ll release the results of the in-person survey. (Spoiler alert: patients hate understaffed pharmacies as much as we do!)
The companies aren’t offering any bargaining dates until June 30th & July 1st. Why? Because they don’t feel a need to make any movement until they see more engagement from more pharmacists.
What You Can Do
Continue wearing your buttons and lanyards. Keep talking to patients and asking them to fill out the survey. Join a multi-local Zoom meeting on Monday, May 25 at 7:00PM, to hear what comes next.
Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/AsB05_tWSByaoxBYPr6WnA
In the meantime, contact your union representative if you have any questions about bargaining or to attend our next session.
If there is anything else we can do to support you, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Bargaining Committee Members, Union Representatives or Stewards.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW Pharmacist Bargaining Committee
April 24 Pharmacist Bargaining Update
Enough is Enough – It's time to talk to our patients
Buttons and QR cards are coming next week
We spent two days this week with Ralphs and Albertsons to bargain our new contract. The companies tried to justify lower pay for grocery pharmacists compared to CVS and other retail pharmacists by saying you don’t work as hard as they do. Don’t worry, we set the record straight.
We made it clear that while all union pharmacists play a critical role in patient care, grocery pharmacists take on a broader scope of responsibilities, with heavier workloads and a wider range of services. This includes administering specialty injections, managing high-volume flu vaccination seasons, handling travel medications, prescribing hormonal contraceptives, and often working with cross-trained clerks instead of dedicated technicians. These differences, along with many others not fully captured at the table, make it clear that this comparison does not reflect the full reality of our work.
What do you think the companies’ response was? Yep. They didn’t care. So we used our downtime to go to nearby Albertsons and Ralphs pharmacies to speak to the pharmacists who were working there and tell them what our next steps in our campaign are and how important it is to involve our patients in our fight for a fair contract.
Earlier this year, we put out a survey to our patients that examined wait times, service conditions, and medication safety. We want more patients to fill out that survey so we can show the companies that what we’re asking for is also needed by their patients. The individual locals will be distributing buttons and lanyards with QR codes to the survey in the upcoming week., so wear your buttons and QR cards every shift to start conversations with your patients and ask them to fill out the survey to fight alongside us. Every response ensures safer conditions and better care for our patients and ourselves.
We’re also scheduling handbill actions in front of our stores to ensure our patients know about the survey and why we’re involving them in the campaign. Look out for more information shortly on those actions from your local union.
We have new bargaining dates on May 11 and 12, and if you’re welcome to attend. We’ll send you another update after those sessions, but in the meantime, come out to our customer actions. We know when patients speak up, it puts real pressure on the companies to do what’s right. And if the companies won’t listen to us, they’ll for sure listen to our patients.
If you have any questions about bargaining, contact your union representative to attend our next session.
If there is anything else we can do to support you, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Bargaining Committee Members, Union Representatives or Stewards.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW Pharmacist Bargaining Committee
April 17 Pharmacist Bargaining Update
Hundreds of Petitions Signed and Delivered
Last week, the company presented an insulting wage proposal, and today, they came back with another inadequate proposal; they added only an additional 25 cents. In response, we delivered hundreds of petitions signed by our co-workers across Southern California, a powerful show of unity that made it clear we are organized, we are watching, and we will not accept less than we deserve. We deserve more than $3.25 over three years, and it’s time we make Ralphs and Albertsons realize that.
What do we do to show Ralphs and Albertsons that we mean business?
Join us on an all Southern California UFCW pharmacist call on Sunday April 19 at 7:00 PM to hear exactly what’s happening at negotiations with Ralphs and Albertsons and discuss future actions from the best source – us – your bargaining committee. We’ll be talking about the company’s attitude at the bargaining table, what their proposals are, and what we’re fighting for.
Look out for a call from (213) 487-7070 on Sunday at 7:00 PM — make sure you answer!
Bargaining resumes Thursday, April 23 and Friday, April 24, and we’ll send you another update after those sessions. In the meantime, let’s continue to pressure the companies. You’ll hear more on Sunday, but we’re going to start ramping up conversations with patients.
If you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything else we can do to support you, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Bargaining Committee Members, Union Representatives or Stewards.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW Pharmacist Bargaining Committee
April 7 Pharmacist Bargaining Update
Pharmacists Speak Out. Companies Refuse to Move
Real stories. Real demands. A quarter is not enough.
Today, we, the pharmacists on the bargaining committee, made it clear the current conditions are not sustainable and the offer we received yesterday from Ralphs and Albertsons doesn’t cut it.
We stood in front of the companies to speak about our struggles to meet growing demands while representing our companies in our communities. We shared our anger and frustration with the conflicting demands of filling prescriptions, answering phones, and managing patient care without adequate ancillary support. We also shared the challenges inherent in providing the many new clinical and specialty services to our communities, including drug rehabilitation programs and assisted living facilities.
Our message was consistent. It is hard to keep up. Staffing is insufficient. Wages are not keeping up with inflation or the level of responsibility pharmacists carry. This is not just a job. It is a profession, and it deserves to be treated like one.
After hearing these realities, the companies only added $0.25 to their insulting offer from yesterday. The new offer is $1.00 in the first year, $1.00 in the second, and $1.00 in the third which is still barely above 1% per year.
Ralphs and Albertsons are not improving their offer because they believe we will not push back and they can continue to take advantage of us.
What happens next depends on all of us.
What's next
Currently union representatives, bargaining committee members and SPURs are in our stores gathering petitions. This is an important way to show the companies that we are willing to fight for wages that reflect our professional knowledge and role in the companies. This is our opportunity to show that EVERY pharmacist is standing together for what we deserve. If you or your co-workers haven’t signed the petition, reach out to your union representative.
Bargaining resumes Friday, April 17, and we’ll send you another update then. In the meantime, let’s continue to pressure. Sign the petition. Talk to your co-workers. Wear your buttons. Show the companies we are united and ready to fight for the contract we deserve.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW Pharmacist Bargaining Committee
April 6 Pharmacist Bargaining Update
$1.00? IS THIS A JOKE?
This is not a serious wage proposal – it’s an outrageous insult
Albertsons and Ralphs left our bargaining session in March afraid to share a wage proposal because we would call it insulting. They were right. Today they showed us the offensive offer – just $1 in the first year, $0.75 cents in the second, and $1 in the third!
This adds up to just over 1% per year, while inflation has risen far more than that over the past four years! For comparison, your co-workers in the front of the store won 13-22% in their contract over three years, and pharmacists with Kaiser just ratified a contract that delivers 21.5% raises over four years.
What’s worse, there’s no retro pay! This proposal is a slap in the face, to say the least, and doesn’t even come close to respecting our contributions to our companies.
Bargaining continues tomorrow, and we’ll have another update for you then. Make sure you send this update to your co-workers to let them know what the companies think of our contributions. Continue to wear your buttons in the stores and sign the petitions being circulated to show Ralphs and Albertsons we’re united for the contract we have earned and deserve.
In Solidarity,
Your Grocery Workers Rising Bargaining Committee
March 20 Pharmacist Bargaining Update
We’re Still Waiting…for a Wage Proposal from Ralphs and Albertsons
Today we met with Albertsons and Ralphs for the first time in over a month and while we were able to confirm that the pharmacists will continue to get the health benefits that were negotiated in the clerk’s agreement, they barely moved on the issues important to us.
This is extremely disappointing, as it’s clear our patients, and ourselves, deserve movement on staffing. At a press conference on March 2, 2026, pharmacists released new survey results from grocery pharmacy patients examining wait times, service conditions, and medication safety. Results of the survey show that:
Nearly 59% say lines have increased at their pharmacy in the past four years
Almost half (48%) report waiting more than 10 minutes for service
About one in nine patients (11.9%) say they have received a medication error
You can read more about this survey here: Patients Sound the Alarm
The companies have committed to provide economic proposals at our next bargaining sessions on April 6 and 7, 2026.
If Albertsons and Ralphs are going to get serious about negotiating for a fair contract that delivers fair and competitive wages, secure retirement benefits, safe staffing levels and sustainable workloads, it’s critical that the companies hear from every pharmacist.
That’s why your Stewards, Union Representatives, and Bargaining Committee members will be circulating a petition in every one of our pharmacies in the coming weeks. Sign the petition, because now is the time to ensure your voice is heard.
Continue to wear your union buttons and lanyards to show our solidarity and power. The more we participate in actions like the March 2 press conference, stay involved in bargaining by joining calls, and stand together, the more power we have at the table to negotiate for the contract we deserve.
We have more bargaining sessions scheduled for April 6 and 7, 2026, and we’ll send another update after those meetings.
In the meantime, if you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything else we can do to support you, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Bargaining Committee Members, Union Representatives or Stewards.
Lastly, UFCW has a website for our professional division: https://www.ufcwprofessionaldivsion.org/. Visit this site to read the minutes from our Professional Relations Committee meetings with the companies, file a complaint against your pharmacy’s non-compliance with California’s pharmacy laws, and more.
Join UFCW for Continuing Education to support your professional development needs. This CE class will teach you about the latest updated pharmacy laws and how to stay in compliance with the California Board of Pharmacy.
Saturday, April 11, 2026, at 11AM
UFCW 770 630 Shatto Place
Los Angeles, CA 90005
Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGRxd5AYhNJhk1GHCVqjBdMi5Y3U2FF6R6HDWPMnFK8PqSsQ/viewform
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW Pharmacist Bargaining Committee
February 19, 2026 - Third Albertsons and Ralphs Bargaining Session Update
Some Progress, but More Work Needed Plus How to Make Your Voice Heard
Over the past two days we met with Ralphs and Albertsons for our third bargaining session. We’ve had some good conversations with the companies on language changes and were able to reach tentative agreements on a job bidding process and just cause protections around demotions as well as 12-hour holiday pay for 12-hour pharmacists.
But we’re still far apart on a lot of issues – especially since we’re still waiting for Albertsons and Ralphs to respond on very important issues like wages, benefits and ensuring we have the appropriate staffing levels. It’s clear that Ralphs and Albertsons need to feel the pressure from us and our patients, community supporters and co-workers in the front of the store.
What can we do to make our voices heard?
Join our campaign kick-off press conference on March 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM at Ralphs on 3410 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90020. Bring your co-workers, friends and family! Talk to your union representative or bargaining committee members to make a plan to attend. Register for the event here: https://forms.gle/gxjzmVR5pz5LreNb9
Wear your union buttons and lanyards to show your solidarity and power. If you haven’t received your button or lanyard, reach out to your steward or representative.
The contract we come away with at the end of this campaign will be determined by how much we all get involved. We’re all burnt out and fatigued, and this puts our patients at risk. These contract negotiations are where we can fix that. Get involved. Join events. Talk to your patients. Show Albertsons and Ralphs that we’re standing together to get the contract we deserve and our patients are relying on.
We have another bargaining session scheduled for March 20, 2026, where we’ll be joined by a federal mediator. We’ll reach out with another update after that session.
If you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything else we can do to support you, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Bargaining Committee Members, Union Representatives or Stewards.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW Pharmacist Bargaining Committee
February 13, 2026 - Second Albertsons and Ralphs Bargaining Session Update
Albertsons and Ralphs Came to Make Cuts, Not to Bargain As Our Contract Nears Expiration
Today we met with Ralphs and Albertsons for our second bargaining session. We spent the afternoon hearing the companies’ responses to our proposals and the changes they want to see in the contract.
At our last session, we made our priorities known to Ralphs and Albertsons, but the companies only came today to whittle away on the protections we have in the contract. And they didn’t even respond to some of our most important issues like wages, benefits, and staffing.
Our contract expires on March 1, and it’s time to fight to make our jobs and our lives better. We will not accept a contract that is anything less than what we deserve. Whether we’re at the bargaining table or in our pharmacies, we have the power to show Ralphs and Albertsons that we’re serious about our proposals and that we’re ready to stand together to get a strong contract. We’ve shown up on the Kaiser picket lines in the past week to show solidarity with the 34,000 nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals who are already striking.
This is our fight, so let’s show our companies that we are united and we’re willing to fight for ourselves, our co-workers, our patients, and our communities!
Join our campaign kick-off press conference on March 2, 2026, at 10:00 AM at Ralphs on 3410 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90020. Talk to your union representative or bargaining committee members to make a plan to attend. Register for the event here: https://forms.gle/gxjzmVR5pz5LreNb9
Wear your union buttons and lanyards to show your solidarity and power. If you haven’t received your button or lanyard, reach out to your steward or representative.
We have bargaining sessions scheduled for next Wednesday and Thursday, February 18-19, after which we will send you another update.
If you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything else we can do to support you, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Bargaining Committee Members, Union Representatives or Stewards.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW Pharmacist Bargaining Committee
January 27, 2026 - First Bargaining Update
What happened during our first pharmacist contract bargaining session?
Plus next steps to get the contract you deserve
Today, we met with Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions for our first day of bargaining on our pharmacist contract. We showed up with the largest bargaining committee we’ve ever had to get the contract we deserve and fight against company policies that burn us out and put us at risk of errors that could harm our patients.
We began the bargaining session by presenting all of our proposals, including wages that keep up with inflation and are comparable to what other retail pharmacists earn, sufficient staffing to support safe patient care, and improvements to our pension so we can retire with dignity.
The companies didn’t have any of their own proposals ready to discuss today, however we encourage them to take the time between now and our next meeting to think about the value we bring to their companies and provide fair responses to our proposals.
Pharmacists are already stretched to the limit. Despite inadequate staffing, we manage long lines and nonstop phone calls and ensure prescriptions are filled accurately and on time. Even in the middle of flu season and with growing demands, pharmacists continue to put patient care first.
Patients deserve more. So do we. It’s time our companies put us first. Standing together, whether we’re at the bargaining table or in our pharmacies, will show Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions that we have the power to fight to make our jobs better and that we’re serious about our proposals.
What’s Next?
We will be scheduling new bargaining dates with the companies soon, and we will send you another update after that session. In the meantime, here’s how you can show Ralphs, Albertsons, Vons, and Pavilions that we’re united for the contract we deserve:
1. Due to the ongoing Kaiser ULP strike, we’re transforming our February 5 press conference. In solidarity with striking UNAC/UHCP Kaiser pharmacists and UFCW Kaiser pharmacy employees, we’re joining them on the picket lines to bring awareness of how both Kaiser and retail grocery pharmacists need appropriate staffing to keep themselves and their patients safe.
WHEN: February 5 at 10AM
WHERE: Kaiser Los Angeles Medical Center, at 4867 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Talk to your union representative or bargaining committee members to make a plan to attend.
RSVP for the event here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1aArUbG4BMUrPo6zAj5T3u3C-ztyukY2ZbXoJxGNB79E/viewform?ts=6966e9df&edit_requested=true
2. Wear your union lanyards to show your solidarity and power. Only by rising up together will we win the contract we deserve. Show the company that we are united and we’re willing to fight for ourselves, our co-workers, our patients, and our communities. If you haven’t received your lanyard, reach out to your steward or representative.
3. Follow UFCW Local 770’s website and social media accounts! These platforms will house the most up-to-date information. Pharmacist members can find bargaining updates and other content about the contract there, so make sure you and all of your co-workers follow the accounts to stay informed.
UFCW 770:
Website: https://www.ufcw770.org/pharmacy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UFCW770
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ufcw770
Twitter/X: https://x.com/ufcw770
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ufcw770
If you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything else we can do to support you, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Bargaining Committee Members, Union Representatives or Stewards.
In Solidarity,
Your UFCW Pharmacist Bargaining Committee
Contract negotiations kick off in two weeks!
Bargaining with Ralphs, Vons, and Albertsons for a new contract starts Tuesday, January 27
Pharmacists are being stretched to the limit. Every day, we are expected to manage long lines and nonstop phone calls without enough staffing to safely keep up, all while ensuring prescriptions are filled accurately and on time. Even in the middle of flu season and with growing demands, pharmacists continue to put patient care first: administering vaccines, managing medication shortages, and providing trusted guidance our communities rely on.
We are constantly being asked to do more with less.
With the closure of Rite Aid, we are expected to absorb a surge of new patients without added support, while earning about 11% less than pharmacists at CVS. At the same time, Corporate continues to push higher volume and more sales. This is a recipe for burnout, fatigue, and errors that put patient safety at risk.
Enough is enough.
As we head into our first bargaining session, now is the time to stand together and fight for:
Wages that keep up with inflation and match what other retail pharmacists earn
Experienced, licensed staffing to support safe patient care
Improvements to healthcare and pensions so we can protect ourselves, our families, and our futures
We are nearly 800 grocery pharmacists strong. United, we are standing up for our patients, our families, and our communities.
How Bargaining Will Work
The first scheduled bargaining session with Ralphs and Albertsons (Vons, Pavilions) is on January 27. We, the bargaining committee and leaders from UFCW Locals that represent grocery pharmacists – 8GS, 135, 324, 770, 1167, 1428, and 1442 – will present proposals to the companies based on the contract surveys you completed.
Throughout the process, both sides will continue to pass proposals back and forth in an attempt to reach a “tentative agreement” on a new contract. This tentative agreement is not final until the members get a chance to review it and vote on whether or not to accept it. If a majority of workers vote to accept the contract, only then would the contract be ratified and go into effect.
At the conclusion of each session, we, the bargaining committee, will send coordinated updates to keep workers informed of what happened at each session, what the companies said or did, and to let you know what you can do to fight for the contract you deserve.
We know Ralphs and Albertsons will attempt to control the narrative about bargaining with misinformation and partial truths to try and divide us. Just like they did during our last negotiations, they’ll tell us that they’re offering a fair wage increase, but that wage increase won’t even make up for what we’ve lost in inflation over the last four years. In addition to wages, the bargaining committee will also be fighting for other critical issues like reasonable staffing levels and improved pension and medical benefits that all pharmacists need. Remaining united and fighting for every RPh member is how we get the contract we deserve.
What We Can Do to Show Our Power
Follow your local union’s website and social media accounts! These platforms are where the most up-to-date information will be housed. Workers can find bargaining updates there and other content about the contract fight, so make sure all of your co-workers also follow the accounts to combat the companies’ misinformation campaign!
https://www.ufcw770.org/pharmacy
Instagram: @UFCW770
Facebook: @UFCW770
X: @UFCW770
LinkedIn: @UFCW770
TikTok: @UFCW770
YouTube: @UFCW770
2. Join the multi-local telephone town hall on Sunday, January 18th at 7pm to prepare for bargaining and hear important updates from your bargaining committee. No need to dial in, we’ll call you! Look out for a call from (213) 487-7070 - make sure you answer!
3. Join our campaign kick-off press conference on February 5, 2026, at 10 AM at Ralphs on 3410 W 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90020
Only by rising up together can we make a change in your workplace, not only for you, but for your co-workers as well. This is your union, and it’s only as powerful as you make it. In 2023, we banded together with our front-of-store siblings, taking on Kroger and Albertsons, and stopped the merger, saving pharmacist jobs. Imagine what we can do this year if more of us get involved.
If you have any questions about bargaining or if there is anything else we can do to support you, please do not hesitate to reach out to your Bargaining Committee Members, Union Representatives or Stewards.
In Solidarity,
Your Grocery Workers Rising Bargaining Committee