Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Ohio Red Cross strike spreading to Michigan

Marching against Red Cross greed in Washington.
(UPDATE: Corrects 2nd paragraph to indicate Michigan strike will start Friday, sted Thursday.)

Northeastern Ohio Teamsters from Local 507 in Cleveland are standing strong against the Red Cross. About 250 blood services workers were forced to strike on Feb. 14 because Red Cross had ignored workers’ concerns about understaffing and the impact on blood safety.

On Friday they will be joined by Lansing Teamsters Local 580 and Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 459. Both have sent notices of intent to strike over cuts to their health benefits.

Last week, hundreds of striking Teamsters boarded a bus at 3 a.m. to come to a rally at Red Cross national headquarters. They came to protest management's disrespect for its workforce and its greed. (If you doubt that, check out their CEO's pay. It's over $1 million.)

The workers wore monkey pins to the rally because management told them their jobs could be done by monkeys. They were joined by members of the United Auto Workers, United Food and Commercial Workers, United Steel Workers, Occupy DC and Jobs with Justice.

Stay strong, brothers and sisters.