Friday, October 22, 2010


AMERICAN LABOUR:
TELL RITE AID TO DO RITE:


The following appeal for solidarity with warehouse workers at Rite-Aid Pharmacy in the USA comes from the United Students Against Sweatshops organization.
RARARARARA
Rite Aid Pharmacy wants its workers sick?‏

Tell Rite Aid: No more sweatshop conditions for California warehouse workers!
Support Rite Aid workers in their fight for a fair contract

Rite Aid wants to overcharge its workers by nearly 3,000% on their health insurance plan. Why would a company bringing in billions with the mission of keeping customers “healthy and safe” try to rip off its own employees with the health insurance they need to care for themselves and their families?

Tell Rite Aid CEO John Standley to stop cheating its workers on health care and to negotiate a fair first contract with its warehouse workers.

Rite Aid has been a bad actor for decades – exploiting our tax dollars, cheating the government, cutting and running from union plants, and punishing workers when they stand up against egregious conditions in Rite Aid warehouses. Two years ago, workers in their Lancaster warehouse refused to put up with Rite Aid's abuse, speaking out against daily harassment, disrespect, job insecurity, working mandatory overtime, and toiling in the sweltering heat. After voting in a union to protect themselves from Rite Aid’s abuses, the company retaliated with illegal layoffs and has refused to negotiate a reasonable first contract with these workers for more than two years. Now the company is proposing to overcharge them 28 times on health insurance while pushing higher drug prices on consumers.

Take action now and demand that Rite Aid stop this sweatshop behavior and negotiate a fair contract!

Rite Aid’s directors earn up to $100 million a year and pour money into busting unions, and yet they insist on ripping off workers by overcharging them on the health care that Rite Aid workers and their families need. Send a letter to Rite Aid CEO John Standley and tell him to stop cheating warehouse workers in healthcare costs and to negotiate a fair first contract in Lancaster.
RARARARARA
THE LETTER:
Please go to this link to send the following letter to the CEO of Rite-Aid.
RARARARARA

Dear Mr. Standley,

As a Rite Aid customer, I am troubled to hear that workers in your Lancaster, California distribution center who voted to form a union two and a half years ago do not have an agreement with Rite Aid to improve working conditions and give employees a voice at work.

Union contracts are our best assurance that Rite Aid is providing the good jobs our communities need.

I am also alarmed to hear that Rite Aid management has proposed overcharging employees by 28 times on their health insurance plan. This would constitute an enormous financial strain on workers and their families. For me, these abuses really are personal.

By making such an outrageous and unethical proposal, your company is making it impossible to move forward in finalizing a fair contract to end sweatshop conditions at the Lancaster distribution center.

I urge management to do everything possible to bring these negotiations to an expedited conclusion with a fair agreement for Rite Aid's hardworking employees. As a company that provides critical health care services to the public, it's hypocritical not to provide a health insurance plan that workers and their families can afford
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1 comment:

soontobelooking said...

Lancaster isn't going to get a contract anytime soon. Rite aid is one of the worst anti union companies around. They are targeting the unionized distribution centers for closing. such as West Virginia and Rome NY! That leaves michigan and lancaster. If I was michigan. I would be very nervious, because I think you will be next! Good luck Lancaster, your going to need it!