The union that represents Canadian Blood Services (CBS) workers in Ontario is calling for an immediate termination of the blood-plasma collection contract with for-profit Spanish pharmaceutical company Grifols.
OPSEU/SEFPO is also calling for an ironclad commitment to ensure that blood and plasma services are never again operated on a for-profit basis.
Two people died after donating plasma at Grifols-operated facilities in Winnipeg in October 2025 and January 2026. Health Canada data indicates that at least 25 serious adverse reactions have been reported at Grifols clinics since 2018.
This week, Health Canada issued a non-compliance rating to Grifols following an inspection of one of its Winnipeg sites. Shortly afterwards, Grifols announced on August 13 that it is “pausing” all plasma collection in Canada effective August 14.
“This announcement is long overdue but does not go far enough. Beyond a pause on for-profit plasma collection, the contract with Grifols should be cancelled immediately, and we need a guarantee that this will never happen again,” said OPSEU/SEFPO Blood Services and Diagnostics Sector Chair Brent MacPherson.
“There is now a mountain of evidence that confirms our worst fears about the privatization of plasma collection. This dangerous outsourcing should never have been permitted in the first place. The Ford government must take immediate action to safeguard the health of Ontarians,” said OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick.
Grifols facilities in Ontario, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Alberta have also received non-compliant ratings from Health Canada. Issues have included improper screening of donors for suitability, cleaning and maintenance of equipment, and investigation of errors and accidents.
CBS workers have been sounding the alarm for years that a for-profit blood-plasma donation model is exploitative and could put donors’ health at serious risk. They recently achieved a strong blow against privatization by securing a new collective agreement that will ensure any new CBS collection sites in Ontario will be represented by OPSEU/SEFPO under a single, unified contract.
Paid blood donation is banned in Ontario. This is in accordance with the Voluntary Blood Donations Act (2014) that was brought into law following recommendations by the Krever Inquiry regarding the tainted blood scandal in the 1980s.
However, CBS took advantage of a legal loophole in 2022 to circumvent the Act, signing a 15-year blood-plasma collection partnership with Grifols.
“Governments must prioritize public health by ensuring that blood and plasma services are solely delivered by public providers with the highest possible standards,” added Hornick.