Thousands of American Red Cross workers agreed on a contract Tuesday and called off a strike on the region’s biggest blood drive day, according to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees email press release. The Red Cross’ 37th annual Holiday Blood Drive will take place at the Alliant Energy Center Dec. 23.
“From the beginning, all the workers wanted was for their hard work to be recognized by their bosses with a fair contract,” AFSCME Council 32 executive director Patrick Wykoff said in the press release.
AFSCME staff representative Neil Rainford said the workers’ previous contract expired last September, and there have been ongoing negotiations for the past 16 months over fair wages.
Rainford said if they had not met the Dec. 15 deadline for reaching a contract agreement, the workers would have the right to strike and planned to do so as of Monday, Dec. 12.
The Red Cross in Wisconsin had filed a complaint in September, but the corporation canceled their meetings several times and refused to negotiate, according to Rainford. The National Labor Relations Board compelled American Red Cross to meet with AFSCME to negotiate a deal for their employees.
“The employees here in Wisconsin had been asking for a fair wage increase, and they had noticed that the Red Cross had already agreed with the employees in Illinois and in Minnesota to substantial wage increases,” Rainford said.
In the new agreement, the Red Cross agreed to retroactive wage increases of 6% for 2022 and 3% for 2023, according to the press release. Workers will also have access to insurance benefits.
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Rainford said this new contract will not make much difference for the Red Cross going forward because it is just allowing them to continue the organization’s progressive wage schedules which they had before. These progressive wage schedules provide employees with raises based on how long they have been with the Red Cross.
But these extra funds will help the Red Cross continue their work in blood drives even with inflation, Rainford said.
“Progressive, fully-funded wage schedules will allow the Red Cross to attract and retain badly-needed staff to collect and process blood for area hospitals,” Rainford said in the press release.
Rainford said that this situation has a positive impact on how young employees view corporations. He said this will be a powerful statement that anyone can challenge their employers.
These kinds of unions have been happening across the country. Starbucks employees protested for better wages in November, and UW Health nurses demanded a union in November 2021 and planned to strike in September 2022.
“Frankly, people who are younger and don’t have a lot of experience are willing to take on their employers in new ways and ways that I think are helpful for our economy to make a greater balance,” Rainford said.
