Teamsters Protect Work Hour Restrictions for Osco Pharmacists

New Three-Year Contract Also Includes Raises

Through two months of negotiations, Teamsters Local 727 representatives held their ground against Osco management, and in the end, they successfully defended pharmacists’ work hour restrictions while also securing wage increases.

Local 727 reached an agreement with management on a new three-year contract in the sixth bargaining session on Wednesday, May 19, 2010.

“Keeping the nine-hour work day and 40-hour work week were drop-dead issues for us, and we remained adamant,” said John Coli Jr., Local 727 Vice President. “We finally got through to management and made them understand how serious we are about it. Those are quality of life issues for our pharmacists. We wouldn’t have accepted anything less.”

The contract now goes to a member vote. Provisions are retroactive to May 2, when the previous contract expired.

In addition to maintaining the current work hour restrictions, the agreement includes wage increases, which match the raises Walgreens pharmacists received in their new contract, and an enhanced vision/optical plan.

Also, part-time employees will be required to average 10 hours per week instead of 15 to be included in the bargaining unit.

Teamsters Local 727 is an affiliate of Teamsters Joint Council 25, which represents more than 100,000 men and women throughout Illinois and Indiana.

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