By
Maria Escobar, on March 19th, 2010
STUDENTS & WORKERS UNITE!
From March 28 to April 4, students and workers across the country are uniting on campuses and communities across the country to fight for ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION & GOOD, SUSTAINABLE JOBS.
Visit www.studentlabor.org to learn more. You can sign up, find an action near you, or download an organizing kit.
Want to participate, but not sure what to plan?
Justice at American Red Cross Day of Action – March 31st, 2010
Donor safety at risk
Red Cross is the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States, controlling more than 40 percent of the U.S. blood supply.
Campus blood drives are big business for Red Cross. In 2009, it had $2.2 billion in revenues from its blood operations.
While giving blood addresses a critical medical need, Red Cross has a horrendous track record of protecting the safety of the U.S. blood supply. Since 2003, Red Cross has been fined $21 million for repeated safety failures. Decisions on additional fines are currently under consideration at the FDA.
Working conditions at Blood Donation drives
Red Cross frequently understaffs blood
Continue reading Student Labor Week of Action! March 28-April 4
By
jwjnational, on October 8th, 2009
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.
Take Action Now! Send an email OR Sign our petition on twitter
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
Continue reading Tell Red Cross: Don’t Cut Corners with Our Blood Supply
