The Chi Omega/American Red Cross blood drive, scheduled for April 5 at Hillsdale College has been cancelled due to a strike amongst Red Cross workers.
The American Red Cross Great Lakes Region was notified last week of the imminent strike. This will be the third time in two years that union strikes have hit the Red Cross.
Slightly over 200 workers are participating in the strike. They stopped work for the Great Lakes Blood Services Region at 8 a.m., March 30. These Michigan strikes are occurring after more than 400 Red Cross employees in Ohio refused to work in February of 2012.
The union workers are accusing the Red Cross of unfair labor practices.They are also working on collective bargaining issues, health care negotiations, and pushing for better blood-safety practices.
The effect of the strike is far reaching, causing blood drives across Michigan to be cancelled and rescheduled. With already low amounts of blood donations in the Great Lakes region, the burden is falling on other regional offices to up their blood collection to counter even greater deficits from the Great Lakes region.
A negotiation between union representatives and Red Cross management is set for April 11.
