Press Releases

Teamsters and Coalition of Unions Reach Tentative Agreement with American Red Cross

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(WASHINGTON) – After several months of serious negotiations, the Teamsters, as part of a union coalition, have come to a tentative agreement for members working at American Red Cross. The agreement, once voted on by the membership, will impact more than 1,100 Teamsters at 18 different local unions.

The Teamsters are part of a coalition of unions that negotiated the tentative agreement. The coalition represents more than 4,000 vital health care workers in 24 states, and includes Teamsters, AFSCME, AFT (HPAE and Oregon Nurses), CWA, UAW, UFCW, United Steelworkers and SEIU.

“This agreement is a good example of what organized labor can do by working together to address the wages, benefits and working conditions of the unionized workforce at the Red Cross,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “With ratification of the agreement, we are hopeful the parties can re-set the labor-management relationship on a positive path.”

Teamsters have represented American Red Cross workers for decades, mostly in the mobile blood collection units that service communities in major metropolitan areas across the U.S.

“These were difficult negotiations, but the final package is well-balanced between the needs of the dedicated men and women who support the mission, and the desire of the Red Cross to re-engineer its business practices and better manage its costs,” said Michael Filler, Director of the Teamsters Public Services Division.

American Red Cross workers are part of the Teamsters Public Service Division which represents over 273,000 employees at city, state and federal facilities and related businesses across the United States.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.