Projo Biz Blog

A labor coalition that has hectored Woonsocket-based CVS Caremark Corp. for months is now asking the Federal Trade Commission to re-examine the 2007 merger that created the health-services company.

Change to Win, a federation of seven unions representing 6 million workers, has attacked the Woonsocket-based drugstore chain since 2007, when the company merged with Caremark Rx Inc., a Tennessee-based pharmacy-benefits manager. The combination created CVS Caremark Corp., (CVS:NYSE) the nation's 19th-largest publicly traded corporation.

Among the coalition's complaints about CVS Caremark are that it: operates more stores in predominantly white, middle-income, communities than in predominately black and Latino, lower-income, communities; keeps stores open more hours in white communities; is more likely to operate in-store clinics in white communities; and uses fewer anti-theft devices and systems in stores in those communities than in stores in predominantly minority communities.

The coalition also has complained of persistent sales of out-of-date merchandise, mislabeled prices, overcharged customers and pharmacists who make too many mistakes.

The coalition's latest demand follows the August 2009 call by a North Carolina congressman for the FTC to investigate reports of anti-competitive and deceptive practices by CVS/Caremark.

 Tags  consumers CVS Caremark Federal Trade Commission Woonsocket RI

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