MADISON, Wis. — Employees of the American Red Cross’ six Wisconsin facilities are preparing to strike during the region’s largest blood drive.

On Monday night, the group voted to strike during the Holiday Blood Drive if management doesn’t reach a contract agreement with them before their current one expires on Dec. 15.

The strike would protest “unfair labor practices,” and management’s “ongoing refusal to bargain in good faith.”

“After exhausting all attempts to bargain in good faith with our employer, we are left with no other option but to withhold our labor,” said Kristena Schmitz, president of the American Federation of State, County, Municipal Employees Local 1205 from Green Bay, in a press release. “If we don’t reach an agreement by December 15th, we will not be working the holiday blood drive on December 23rd.” 

Since August 2021, employees with the AFSCME Local 1205 and 1558 unions have been trying to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement — with little success.

Over several months, union leaders said management canceled or rescheduled 21 meetings and that management only attended one after the union filed a formal ULP charge.

It wasn’t until the union filed a second charge during the past summer that regular meetings were held.

But by then, union leaders said company officials claimed they had already spent all available funds on significantly increasing wages for employees in their other states, like Minnesota and Illinois.

This resulted in the union filing a third ULP charge in September against management.

“For sixteen months, management at Red Cross in Wisconsin has refused to negotiate in good faith with their employees,” AFSCME Council 32 Executive Director Patrick Wycoff said in a press release. “When they finally came to the table, they told the employees that there was no money left for them because they spent it all on raises for workers in other states. These unfair labor practices have forced the workers into a position where their only choice is to strike, and our union will stand with them.”

In a response statement to the strike, Red Cross officials said they're "committed to providing all employees with competitive wages and benefits."

They said in Wisconsin, that includes lump sum bonuses, annual wage increases, enhancements to safety, holidays and quality affordable healthcare, as well as a new Paid Family Leave benefit. Red Cross officials also said they're proposing to increase the local hiring rates along with promised improvements in staffing, scheduling, work/life balance and more. 

They said employees could enroll in a new Coaltion medical plan in 2023. 

The Red Cross is scheduled for another negotiation session on Monday.

"It is our hope that, like their fellow union members elsewhere, the AFSCME-represented employees in Wisconsin will vote to ratify both the national agreement and their local agreement," Red Cross officials said in the statement.

If agreements are not reached, employees are scheduled to strike on Friday, Dec. 23 from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. outside the Red Cross' 37th annual Holiday Blood Drive at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison. 

Should the employees strike, Red Cross officials said they have plans in place to meet the needs of patients and hospitals.