CVS Receives Millions from New York State Taxpayers but Isn't Using Local Labor

CVS/pharmacy is coming to Chemung in a big way. The town will be soon be home to the corporation's enormous 750,000 square foot distribution center that will service nearly 350 stores throughout the Northeast. The warehouse will be spread out over 311 acres and will encompass nearly 13 football fields. When it opens in 2011, the project is promising to bring roughly 600 jobs and renewed prosperity to Chemung County.

But jobs and prosperity shouldn't have to wait for 2011, especially since New Yorkers are helping to fund the project. The company recently received nearly $4.75 million in New York State tax dollars and incentives to build their facility. However, as the building of the distribution center gets underway, CVS has hired a company from Kentucky to manage the project while they are bringing in workers from North Carolina to start building. Workers from over 600 miles away are taking jobs away from workers in their own backyard. This is allowing CVS to avoid paying area standard wages and benefits.

According to Governor Paterson's website, Senior Vice President of Logistics at CVS/pharmacy Ron Link said:

“We want to thank Chemung County and the State of New York for their support during the negotiation and approval process. The cooperation we received from Governor Paterson, Dennis Mullen and the team at Empire State Development, George Miner and Jamie Johnson from the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency, and Chemung County Executive Tom Santulli was instrumental in our decision to build our new distribution center here. This is an ideal location to support the hundreds of CVS/pharmacy stores in the region. We are excited to be joining the Chemung County community.”¹

We think it's about time CVS really thanks Chemung by hiring local workers to build their facility. If the company really wants to join the community, they should be looking out for their neighbors. Taking their tax dollars without giving back to the community isn't a very neighborly thing to do.

Tell CVS that since New Yorkers helped to pay for their distribution center, New Yorkers should be the ones receiving the paycheck for building it. Send a letter to Vice President Ron Link by visiting the camapaign site:

http://www.unionvoice.org/campaign/cvs

1 Press Release, GOVERNOR PATERSON ANNOUNCES CVS/PHARMACY TO OPEN NEW DISTRIBUTION CENTER IN SOUTHERN TIER, available at: http://www.ny.gov/governor/press/press_0601093.html