MOUNT VERNON — Union representatives stood outside the Walgreens Distribution Center in Mt. Vernon Wednesday, handing out information to employees about organizing a union at their workplace.

According to Rick Altman, the International At Large Vice President for the UMWA, their group of four or five people was there giving Walgreens employees information on how to unionize their workplace, and the benefits of unionizing. He says someone called the police to respond to the location as “120 people were there protesting and blocking traffic.”

Altman says they not only want to help Walgreens employees they also want to help the company.

He says the company has eliminated an entire shift at the distribution center resulting in hundreds of employees being let go, and shift differential pay has been eliminated for those who remain.

While rumors were swirling around Wednesday morning of more than 100 people protesting outside the facility, just a handful of men were gathered on the center median handing out flyers to people coming and going.

We’ve reached out to Walgreens corporate offices for comment but they have not yet returned our call.