CVS Teamsters Serving Mid-Atlantic Region Vote to Authorize Strike

More than 500 drivers and warehouse workers at the CVS distribution center in Fredericksburg, Va. have authorized a strike via the Teamsters Union Local 592. The DC serves the Washington, D. C. and Baltimore areas, and the Teamsters’ current contract expires April 30, 2026.

The union, which represents thousands of CVS workers across the country, is seeking wage increases, higher pension contributions and fully protected benefits, on par with a contract signed in May 2025 that covers 900+ workers at a CVS distribution center in La Habra, Calif.

“If CVS keeps pushing concessions and refusing to take bargaining seriously, we will be forced on the picket line May 1,” said Chris Donald, a 38-year warehouse worker and member of Local 592 in a statement. “No one wants a strike, but if the company comes after our hard-earned benefits, we will have no choice but to fight back.”

A CVS spokesperson, noting that a strike authorization is a bargaining tool and doesn’t mean an actual strike is imminent, said: “We’re in active discussions with the union and are confident we can reach an agreement that supports workplace safety and competitive wages and benefits.

We look forward to reconvening with the Local 592 to continue negotiations and hope to finalize an agreement soon. “We have contingency plans in place to ensure that our stores and pharmacies continue to receive shipments and can serve customers and patients,” the spokesperson added.

“In the event there’s a disruption to store shipments, we’ll work quickly to replenish impacted products as soon as we can.” The Teamsters have been fairly effective in organizing unions in the often highly resistant retail industry.

In December 2024, the Teamsters struck at seven Amazon facilities in a move designed to exert maximum pressure during the peak pre-holiday fulfillment period, and in January 2025, Costco Teamsters authorized a strike by its 18,000 employee members, a threat that the union claims led to increased pay for store employees.

Starbucks has faced labor struggles as its baristas have sought to form unions, most recently culminating at protests at the coffee giant’s Seattle headquarters in December 2025.