MADISON, Wis. — A planned strike involving employees of the American Red Cross’ six Wisconsin facilities has been called off after unions representing them ratified new three-year agreements.
In a news release, AFSCME Locals 1205 and 1558 said the new agreements, which run through Dec. 31, 2024, come after 16 months of negotiations. They include retroactive bonus payments for 2021, retroactive 6% pay raises for 2022 and another 3% raise for 2023, as well as enhanced benefits.
“From the beginning, all the workers wanted was for their hard work to be recognized by their bosses with a fair contract,” AFSCME Council 32 Executive Director Patrick Wycoff said in the release. “To attain that, the workers had to take a stand. Make no mistake, the members’ courage to strike the holiday blood drive was critical to reaching this agreement.”
RELATED: Red Cross workers announce strike ahead of holiday blood drive
The strike had been planned for Dec. 23, coinciding with the Red Cross’ annual holiday blood drive. Union officials had said if an agreement wasn’t reached by Thursday, workers would go on strike. Last week, the Red Cross warned the strike “could disrupt local blood collections during the holiday season – a challenging time to collect blood that patients in need are counting on.”
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