About 200 Red Cross workers went on strike on Thursday morning, angry over the way they have been treated by the organization during contract negotiations. Gov. Dannel Malloy is asking for a "cooling off" period.
"Our union members have worked nearly three years without a contract and watched the Red Cross engage in unlawful behavior while trying to strip away our fundamental right to bargain over health care," said Larry Dorman, spokesperson for AFSCME Local 3145, the union representing the Red Cross workers.
The blood collection workers began walking a picket line in front of the Red Cross Headquarters in Farmington Thursday. They include phlebotomists, nurses, lab technicians and others.
In a statement, a Red Cross spokesperson questioned the timing of the strike.
"It is deeply disappointing and disturbing that union leaders would choose to strike and disrupt blood drive collections during a state of emergency in Connecticut," the statement said.
The Red Cross will continue to collect blood through scaled-down blood drives, according to the organization.
Malloy is asking for a three week "cooling off" period for the workers and management.
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"(I)n the interest of the public health of our state, workers, and management, I am urging both sides to agree to a three-week cooling-off period in order to facilitate a fair agreement. I believe this approach is particularly important right now given the challenges our entire state is facing as we continue to recover from this devastating storm,” Malloy said in a statement.
