Thank you so much to those of you who attended our town hall last week. We received many great questions and, as promised, are following up with some answers.
As always, we encourage members to stay engaged and informed. Your continued solidarity and involvement are critical as we work toward achieving a collective agreement that reflects your priorities and protects your interests.
We will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available.
In solidarity,
Your Support and Plasma Bargaining Teams
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Union discussing a merged collective agreement?
The Employer approached the union about potentially merging the Plasma and Whole Blood/Support collective agreements into one agreement. These discussions are exploratory and no agreement has been reached.
The Employer’s position is that, as Canadian Blood Services moves toward a model where almost every site will collect both plasma and whole blood, they would prefer to operate under a single collective agreement structure.
The bargaining teams agreed there was enough progress in the discussions to continue exploring what a merged agreement could look like and whether it could provide benefits to members.
Does merging mean the Union supports everything the Employer wants?
No.
The bargaining teams have raised concerns throughout discussions, particularly regarding scheduling, work life balance, weekends, and the impact on existing premiums and protections.
The purpose of the discussions is to determine whether there is a path forward that makes sense for members. Nothing has been agreed to and any eventual tentative agreement would still need to be voted on by the membership.
Why would the Union consider merging if organizing new donor sites is not guaranteed?
This was one of the concerns raised during the town hall.
At this stage, it is not clear whether future donor centres would automatically fall under the current OPSEU/SEFPO bargaining units. However, a merged agreement could create a pathway for the union to represent those new sites in the future. The bargaining teams are carefully weighing the risks and opportunities before making any decisions.
Is the Employer planning to move to a Tuesday to Sunday schedule?
The Employer has advised the Union that they intend to move forward with a Tuesday to Sunday scheduling model in collections environments over time.
The Employer stated implementation would reportedly be gradual over the life of the next collective agreement and would not happen immediately at existing sites.
The Employer also indicated that office based employees would likely not be affected by these scheduling changes.
No agreement has been reached regarding scheduling.
Can the Employer implement Tuesday to Sunday schedules even if the Union says no?
The Employer’s position is that they have the management rights to implement operational scheduling changes. Both the current Support and Plasma Collective Agreement does not have any restrictions on the Employer opening Sundays.
The Union’s role is to negotiate protections, premiums, incentives, and language that minimizes the impact on members and ensures members are compensated fairly for any changes.
Because the employer has taken this position, this is one of the main reasons the bargaining teams feel compelled to discuss whether there may be opportunities to negotiate monetary incentives or enhanced protections when scheduling changes move forward.
What happens to weekend premiums and existing scheduling protections?
The Employer has indicated that they believe some current premiums and protections would be too costly under a Tuesday to Sunday operating model.
This includes:
- Legacy full time language guaranteeing consecutive days off including Saturday or Sunday for employees hired before January 25th, 2013
- The Sunday double time premium negotiated for employees hired before March 22nd, 2018
The bargaining teams have advocated strongly that removing or changing these provisions would need to come with compensation or incentives for members. The employer has acknowledged that point, and continues to work on costing out options for your team to consider.
How will Plasma Members Benefit from a Merged Collective Agreement?
One of the key points being considered by the bargaining teams is that the current Plasma Collective Agreement does not contain any of the premiums and stronger language provisions that currently exist in the Whole Blood/Support Collective Agreement.
The Whole Blood/Support agreement is a much more mature agreement that contains stronger protections, and premium entitlements that plasma members do not currently receive.
Under a merged agreement model, plasma members would move into the Whole Blood/Support agreement structure and would gain access to those negotiated premiums and protections, alongside any additional negotiated changes that may result from bargaining.
Will there be increased pay or premiums for plasma related work and additional duties?
There is currently an ongoing Joint Job Evaluation process that was awarded during the last round of bargaining that has not yet been completed.
As part of that process, the parties need to review the following classifications: Donor Care Associate, Laboratory Assistant, Logistics Attendant, Shipper Receiver I and II, and Clerk classifications.
That review process includes discussions around job classifications, evolving responsibilities, and compensation structures associated with the work being performed.
The Union has recently raised concerns with the employer regarding the status and scope of that process and has suggested revisiting the classifications currently under review, including consideration of additional positions such as Process Leads and other roles impacted by operational changes and increased responsibilities.
The bargaining teams continue to raise concerns around workload, expanding duties, plasma-related responsibilities, and ensuring that members are appropriately recognized and compensated for the work they perform. While no specific outcomes can be guaranteed at this stage, these issues remain active topics in both the job evaluation process and broader bargaining discussions.
What happens if members do not want to work a Tuesday to Sunday schedule?
One of the options currently being explored is enhanced severance options for members who may not wish to continue working under the new scheduling model.
This could potentially benefit members who are nearing retirement or who are not interested in transitioning to the new operational model.
These discussions are still ongoing and no details have been finalized.
Would severance mean layoffs?
No.
The severance discussions being explored are intended as voluntary options for members who may choose not to continue under a new scheduling model.
The Employer has not announced layoffs connected to any specific option discussed at the town hall. In fact, the employer has given indications that it is their intention to enhance the workforce, not shrink it.
What happens if the union decides not to pursue a merged agreement?
This was discussed as an option during the town hall.
Under this option:
- The Plasma and Whole Blood/Support bargaining teams would continue to bargain separately
- The Employer would likely continue pursuing similar scheduling proposals at both tables
- There would likely be limited opportunities for severance and/or monetary incentives
- The parties could ultimately end up in interest arbitration
The bargaining teams noted that doing nothing may delay implementation, but would not necessarily prevent the Employer from pursuing operational changes.
How could Tuesday to Sunday scheduling affect statutory holidays?
The current Collective Agreement already contains language dealing with paid holidays and lieu days for full-time employees. Under Article 14, employees who are not scheduled to work on a holiday are still credited with holiday pay, and employees who work on a designated holiday receive premium pay along with a paid day off in lieu.
Could some existing locations remain closed on Sundays?
Yes. The Employer’s position is that collection schedules would be based on donor preference and operational needs. The bargaining team has advocated strongly for improvements to members work life balance and our understanding is that existing sites will remain under status quo and any changes that would be implemented would be gradual.
Will new full time positions be awarded based on seniority?
The bargaining team has had ongoing discussions regarding the posting, filling, and job competition process for potential future full-time positions. At this stage, no decisions or agreements have been finalized, including how seniority may factor into the awarding of any new full-time opportunities.
The team has discussed the importance of maintaining a fair, transparent, and equitable process for members seeking full-time positions, and those discussions remain active as bargaining continues.
Further information will be shared with members as discussions progress and additional details or proposals become available.
Will all clinics have the same operating hours?
At this time, the Employer has not indicated that every clinic would operate under identical hours.
The Employer’s position is that scheduling and operating hours would be based on operational needs and, especially, donor demand and preference. As members noted during the town hall, many existing clinics already operate with different hours depending on location and collection patterns.
When would these changes take effect?
The Employer suggested that any move toward a Tuesday to Sunday scheduling model would reportedly be gradual and implemented over the life of the next collective agreement, not immediately.
The Employer has also advised that their long-term direction is tied to the expanding roles within the combined whole blood and plasma collection sites. However, no final implementation timeline has been introduced.
What are the bargaining teams’ recommending right now?
At this time, the bargaining teams are recommending that discussions continue during the next scheduled bargaining dates, May 25th to 28th.
The teams have committed to holding another town hall at some point in early June to provide members with a further update on discussions, report on any progress made, and give the members an opportunity to ask questions, before any decisions are finalized. Information on any future meetings will follow.