Specialized blood collection (apheresis) workers throughout Oregon who work for the American Red Cross (ARC) have voted to join Teamsters Local 223 in Portland.

The workers are based in Portland, Bend, Medford, and Salem, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington.

Local 223 represents 169 workers in collections and hospital services. Nearly half of the apheresis workers are senior workers who previously worked in collections, where they were Teamsters and experienced the benefits of Teamster membership.

The 36 apheresis workers perform a collection which separates blood components, including platelets and plasma, in a process that can take several hours of working with each donor.

In addition to negotiating an agreement at the local level in the future, the group benefits immediately from being a part of the Teamsters and Coalition of American Red Cross Unions’ nationally negotiated addendum. They will participate in the superior TeamCare health care benefits plan.

The Teamsters Health Care Division and Local 223 representatives Dave Tully and Karine Trowbridge (a Health Care Division Western Region Representative) assisted the workers as they organized to join their coworkers at ARC as Teamsters.

“We welcome the apheresis group to the Teamsters, and look forward to working with each and every one of the new members,” said Leslie Sloy, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 223.

The Teamsters Union represents over 1,300 American Red Cross workers nationwide.

 

 

 

 

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