Deadline Looms For Red Cross Workers' Contract
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Negotiations continue today between The Red Cross Penn-Jersey Blood Services Region and the union representing workers who collect blood for the agency. The current contract expires this weekend.
There has been little movement since the two sides began to bargain at the end of March, but now a sense of urgency appears to have settled in. Representatives of the Health Professional and Allied International Employees (HPAE) Local 5103 have sent the Red Cross a notice of intent to strike if a deal isn't reached by the midnight Sunday deadline.
What are the issues? That depends on who you talk to.
"The issues at hand are obviously wages and benefits," says Red Cross spokesman Anthony Tornetta.
But Local 5103's Jeanne Otersen says working conditions are also a huge issue, "You cannot expect people to drive an hour and a half, work eight hours with too many donors being scheduled and not enough staff and provide the same quality that we believe the blood donors deserve."
Otersen says she's hoping to avoid a strike, but says it's likely that negotiations will go right down to the wire.
Reported by Paul Kurtz, KYW Newsradio 1060
