Tell Red Cross: Don't Cut Corners with Our Blood Supply

The Missouri Jobs with Justice Workers' Rights Board released a report today on the steps of the Red Cross Blood Services headquarters in St. Louis that raises concerns about donor safety and the security of the nation's blood supply at the country's largest supplier of blood and blood products.

The investigative report, which also details the treatment of Red Cross employees and the impact this has on the organization's work, underscores the need for a new round of reforms at the troubled organization.

Among the practices detailed in the report that jeopardize donors' safety and the integrity of the blood supply detailed are:

  • Lengthy hours of service for front line blood workers that workers themselves say lead to fatigue and mistakes.
  • A sharp reduction in pay for Red Cross front line blood employees that has led to dramatic increases in employee turnover, resulting in less experience and training in key positions.
  • What appears to be a purposeful misrepresentation of non-medical personnel as certified nurses.
  • These conditions may have contributed to cardiac episodes, head injuries (after a donor fainted) and unnecessary bruising caused by improper insertion of needles.
  • Employees threatened with retaliation if they reveal such practices.

Our blood supply is too important to cut corners!  Read the full report here.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Don't cut corners with our blood supply

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

Few national institutions have a prouder name or a more storied history than the American Red Cross, but over the last two decades the organization has suffered a series of setbacks and scandals.

As the tenth leader of the organization in the last twelve years, Gail McGovern has been charged with revitalizing the Red Cross and protecting one of the most widely recognized and important institutions in our country.

Unfortunately, a new report by Jobs with Justice National Workers Rights Board suggests that the American Red Cross Blood and Biomedical Division continues to run afoul of the law and that many of your frontline blood workers believe that Division management is increasingly determined to cut expenses and increase revenues, even to the potential detriment of donor safety, employee wellbeing and the security of the nation's blood supply.

The report raises serious concerns, considering the millions of Americans who are volunteers or donors, as well as recipients of blood or disaster assistance, and the links between the Red Cross and governments at the local, state and federal level. Creating a disposable and inexpensive labor force with high turnover and little experience while also downplaying the need for medically trained supervision at blood drives clearly affect the public.

Indeed, this effort poses an inherent contradiction, because such goals are incompatible with improving or even maintaining safety levels in an industry that is highly labor intensive, requires much training and relies heavily on the human factor in collecting, labeling, handling, tracking and distributing donated blood and blood supplies.

In light of the reports findings, we believe that the Red Cross must:

1) Conduct an independent audit to find the real causes for harmful deficits and solutions that do not further compromise the organizations reputation and ability to provide blood supplies without endangering employees, donors or end users.

2) Create of a Joint Labor Management Committee to set reasonable labor policies, oversee the development and implementation of training for supervisors and staff to ensure the best results for all Red Cross stake holders. And the restoration of the long standing practice of labor representation on the Board of Governors.

3) Develop guidelines for the implementation of a labor relations policy that will be in compliance with legal requirements, best practices and will honor the principle of employees' rights to union representation and collective bargaining.

I believe that the American Red Cross is moving in a direction contrary to its mission and values. Please consider adopting these recommendations before the organization is damaged beyond repair.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
October 07, 2009


Background Information

Missouri Jobs with Justice Workers' Rights Board released a report today on the steps of the Red Cross Blood Services headquarters in St. Louis that raises concerns about donor safety and the security of the nation's blood supply at the country's largest supplier of blood and blood products.

The investigative report, which also details the treatment of Red Cross employees and the impact this has on the organization's work, underscores the need for a new round of reforms at the troubled organization.

"Few national institutions have a prouder name or a more storied history than the American Red Cross," writes Philip Dine, an award-winning labor reporter and the author of the report. "But many frontline blood workers see the Red Cross as an employer that is increasingly determined to cut expenses and increase revenues, even to the potential detriment of donor safety, employee wellbeing and the security of the nation's blood supply."

Among the practices detailed in the report that jeopardize donors' safety and the integrity of the blood supply detailed are:

  • Lengthy hours of service for front line blood workers that workers themselves say lead to fatigue and mistakes.
  • A sharp reduction in pay for Red Cross front line blood employees that has led to dramatic increases in employee turnover, resulting in less experience and training in key positions.
  • What appears to be a purposeful misrepresentation of non-medical personnel as certified nurses.
  •  These conditions may have contributed to cardiac episodes, head injuries (after a donor fainted) and unnecessary bruising caused by improper insertion of needles.
  • Employees threatened with retaliation if they reveal such practices.

"I don't think frontline workers are given the tools we need," said Ruth Weitzal, a 21-year employee with the American Red Cross Great Lakes Blood Region. "We are constantly asked to rush donors through the process. Management forces us to do more and more work. Our supervisors often aren't certified medical professional. And our training has become more and more superficial, with a greater emphasis on memorization instead of understanding the blood donation process"

"Under the current conditions the Red Cross just can't attract or hold onto a high quality workforce," said James Plotts, a Mobile Unit Assistant based in Columbia, Missouri. "I think the average donor believes the Red Cross is staffing blood drives with certified professionals and a high quality workforce. It's just not the case. The organization needs to do a better job of living up the public's expectations."

"These problems truly jeopordize the reputation of the Red Cross as America's premier disaster relief and blood collection organization," said Joan Suarez, a member of the National Jobs with Justice Workers' Rights Board. "It looks like the main problem is that Red Cross executives in Washington D.C. either don't understand what is going on in the field or they don't value the contributions of their frontline employees, the conditions under which they toil, or the goodwill that they promote in their communities."