New York Pathmark Pharmacy Departments Briefly Shut Due to 'Sickout'
CARTERET, N.J. -- This week 150 pharmacists at 48 New York Pathmark stores staged a one-day "sickout" that closed many of the locations' pharmacy sections, although the Mid-Atlantic grocery chain now reports that all of its in-store pharmacy departments in the state have reopened.
Pathmark spokesman Richard Savner told Progressive Grocer that the grocer was in the midst of negotiating a new contract with the pharmacists, but he declined to comment further on the matter. The pharmacists' prior contract expired in October. Savner said that the grocer coped with the absence of the unionized employees on Tuesday by enlisting the help of licensed pharmacists in "the administrative area" to run the departments at about a quarter of the affected stores.
Calls to Service Employees International Union Local 1199, which represents the Pathmark pharmacists, were not returned.
Pathmark operates a total of 143 stores in the New York-New Jersey and Philadelphia metro areas.
Pathmark spokesman Richard Savner told Progressive Grocer that the grocer was in the midst of negotiating a new contract with the pharmacists, but he declined to comment further on the matter. The pharmacists' prior contract expired in October. Savner said that the grocer coped with the absence of the unionized employees on Tuesday by enlisting the help of licensed pharmacists in "the administrative area" to run the departments at about a quarter of the affected stores.
Calls to Service Employees International Union Local 1199, which represents the Pathmark pharmacists, were not returned.
Pathmark operates a total of 143 stores in the New York-New Jersey and Philadelphia metro areas.