Valentine's Day marked the start of the long anticipated strike of Red Cross workers, Local 507 Teamsters against the American Red Cross in Cleveland, Ohio. They have been negotiating for a new contract for months, but nothing was agreed upon. The are negotiating to get better health insurance, a small pay raise and better working conditions. The question of donor and blood safety has been brought to light and the current practice of understaffing blood drives is adding to this problem. Staffing blood drives appropriately and having back up for extra help when needed is the only way to assure that blood drives are successful and all the products donated are usable.
You may be asking what this has to do with Cleveland unemployment. Well I was an employee of the American Red Cross before I became unemployed. I was fired because I have a physical impairment that limits my lifting ability, therefore making me unable to do my job. I have no idea what my ability to lift has to do with my ability to draw blood in a safe manner, but that was the reason I was given. These people who are on strike obviously face the consequence of potential unemployment, something they do not want, but for the small amount of things they are asking, the negotiations should have been overwith already. If these 200+ become unemployed, it will only make the unemployment situation in Cleveland worse.
Please keep these people in your thoughts and wish them the best in their current situation.
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