Thrifty May Be Charged

The National Labor Relations Board is expected to charge, perhaps today, that the Thrifty Drug Stores chain used unfair labor practices against its unionized pharmacists, sources familiar with the case said Wednesday.

The case is based on complaints from three union locals that represent Thrifty pharmacists in Southern California. The unions protested the company’s decision this fall to add managers not covered by the pharmacists union contract to oversee pharmacy operations at many of the 494 Thrifty stores in California.

Union officials were not available to comment late Wednesday, but they previously charged, among other things, that union pharmacists who turn down offers to become non-union pharmacy managers are being punished. In some cases, the union officials said, the pharmacists are being transferred against their wishes from stores where they have worked for years, and have seen their working hours reduced.

Chris Bement, Thrifty’s executive vice president, said he had not received word that the labor board will bring charges. “If there is a charge, we will vehemently contest it,” he said.

He dismissed the unions’ allegations, saying it would make no sense for the company to antagonize its pharmacists, particularly at a time when there is a shortage of them. In California, Thrifty employs 1,200 full- and part-time pharmacists. More than 1,000 are union members.