OPSEU/SEFPO members at Canadian Blood Services (CBS) are chalking up a significant win against privatization by ratifying a historic collective agreement.
The agreement, which brings workers from public blood and plasma donation clinics together under a single contract, comes as CBS announces plans to expand operations into multiple new locations across Ontario. With this newly ratified agreement, workers at any future CBS collection sites that open will be represented by OPSEU/SEFPO.
“For years OPSEU/SEFPO members have been fighting for a blood and plasma collection system that puts donor safety over private profits – and this week, that fight paid off,” said OPSEU/SEFPO President JP Hornick. “This agreement, paired with the expansion of public collection sites, is proof that we are moving in the right direction.”
CBS public donation sites set the standard for what a publicly accountable, well-staffed blood and plasma donation system can look like – effectively making the new contract and the expansion a strong case against privatization.
The commitment to opening new public collection sites could reduce reliance on private, for-profit collection centres like those operated by pharmaceutical giant Grifols. For-profit donation sites have recently come under public scrutiny following three donor fatalities in Manitoba, a lawsuit over a donation-related kidney injury at a Winnipeg collection centre, as well as non-compliant safety inspections of Grifols donation centres in other provinces[SW1] , including at their head office in Oakville Ontario.
“All levels of government need a reminder that privatization is not the only way to grow, in fact it’s a step in the wrong direction,” added Hornick. “As demand grows, we need to invest in public services including our health care system and public blood supply.”