Board of Pharmacy to Enforce “No Pharmacist Left Alone” Law

Sacramento, CA – After hearing from member pharmacists with the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Western States Council, the California Board of Pharmacy voted Wednesday to write regulations to help enforce SB 1442 (Wiener), the No Pharmacist Left Alone Law.  The vote on the petition brought forward by UFCW will help prevent large retail stores from evading the 2018 law that protects patients by requiring stores to make a staff member available to help pharmacists at their request. The Board of Pharmacy supported the UFCW bill intended to help pharmacists focus on their number one priority – protecting the public health.

“UFCW pharmacists are encouraged that the Board of Pharmacy listened to us and took action to protect the patients we serve by strengthening enforcement of SB 1442,” said Seung Oh, a pharmacist and member of UFCW. “Consistent enforcement is necessary to prevent large retail stores from evading the law’s purpose – to ensure pharmacists have the support necessary to focus on our core mission of keeping patients safe.”

SB 1442 was passed in response to chronic understaffing of retail pharmacies that often led pharmacists to work alone for hours on end, compromising patient safety.  Without enforcement of the law, retail stores continue to demand pharmacists perform multiple tasks, from dispensing medication to patients, to ringing up prescriptions and other store items, to clean the pharmacy bathrooms and taking out the trash.

The Board of Pharmacy will now proceed through the formal rulemaking process where they will write regulations clarifying definitions in the law to strengthen enforcement in California’s large retail pharmacies.

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UFCW Western States Council

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 13, 2019

Contact: Jenna Thompson, 916.444.7280

Sacramento, CA – The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Western States Council today announced that the Executive Board confirmed Acting Executive Director Amber Parrish Baur as Executive Director. The Board also elected Andrea Zinder, UFCW Local 324 Secretary-Treasurer, to serve as President of the Council. The Board’s selections mean female leaders in the top elected and staff posts for the first time in the UFCW Western States Council’s history.

“I look forward to leading UFCW Western States Council and bringing workers’ voices together to fight for dignity and opportunity for all,” said Baur. “After historic leadership in the 2018 midterm elections, working people are more determined than ever to hold elected officials accountable for healthcare, good jobs and workers’ rights. As Executive Director, I will work closely with our UFCW members and our leadership to advance these crucial issues and create new, quality jobs that support families and communities.”

Before being appointed as acting executive director in January, Baur was UFCW Western States Council’s Political Director, where she helped elect progressive candidates for office and enact strict worker protections. Prior to coming to UFCW, she was the Political Director for the San Francisco Labor Council where she was instrumental in raising the minimum wage, closing a loophole that left many workers unprotected, and passing legislation that gave workers a predictable schedule and access to full-time employment.

“At time when workers’ voices must lead the nation to restore the American Dream for the next generation, I am grateful for the opportunity to lead UFCW’s Western States Council and to work with Amber and our members to transform our economy, lift up working families, and strengthen our communities,” said Zinder.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 6, 2019
CONTACT: Jenna Thompson, 916.444.7280 or jenna@paschalroth.com

Sacramento, CA – The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Western States Council released the following statement from Jim Araby, Executive Director, United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council on the inauguration of Gavin Newsom as Governor of California:

“The 200,000 members of UFCW Western States Council who keep our state’s food safe, protect public health, and work hard to invest in our communities are proud to have worked tirelessly to elect Gavin Newsom as Governor. Newsom recognized that the priorities that matter to us – rebuilding the middle class, achieving universal healthcare, and investing in our children’s education – are what make California a model for the nation.

“Governor Newsom’s leadership was crucial in bringing cannabis out of the shadows and into a safe, regulated market where workers have access to a union so they can create quality jobs and serve a crucial role as watchdogs for consumers. This is exactly the kind of leadership California needs to build a strong economy where workers voices are respected.

“We look forward to working with Governor Newsom to create good jobs, achieve affordable health care, reform our criminal justice system, and protect workers’ right to have a voice on the job.”

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The United Food and Commercial Workers Western States Council is the regional coordinating body of 11 UFCW local unions representing over 200,000 workers in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. The Council is a part of the 1.2 million-member strong UFCW International Union. UFCW members are standing together to improve the lives of workers, families, and communities.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 7, 2019

CONTACT: Mike Roth, 916.444.7170 or mike@paschalroth.com