(SALINA, KANSAS) - Workers employed at the American Red Cross in Salina, Kansas have voted unanimously in favor of representation with Teamsters Local 795.

The victory marks the fourth Organizing victory since the Teamsters ratified their new national master agreement with ARC this Summer.

Teamsters Local 795 President Jesse Castillo said: “These Workers are joining a massive movement.  They have a family here in Wichita at Local 795, a network of thousands of fellow Union Members at ARC and an army of (1.2 million) Teamster Brothers and Sisters nationwide. With that kind of support, they’re going to get a fantastic local agreement when we go to negotiate within the next few weeks.”

The Workers will immediately be covered under the ARC National Agreement, which provides excellent TeamCare medical coverage.

TeamCare is the largest Labor Health Fund in the country, covering more than 500,000 people, including more than 2,000 Workers at ARC.

Debra Goodner, a Collection Tech III Phlebotomist at ARC who served on the Worker-led Organizing Committee, said: “We are thrilled to win the protections and benefits all ARC Workers deserve, especially when it comes to our health care.  It’s higher quality, more comprehensive and costs a fraction compared to the plans Non-Union Workers at ARC get.  As someone who had previously worked under the National Contract and knew the value of Teamster Representation, I felt an obligation to win a Union Voice for me and my Co-Workers.”

The National Agreement will also cover Goodner and her Co-Workers with an annual 3% raise, guaranteed paid time off and increased pay for shift differentials and overnights.

They will also receive standard non-economics protections like seniority and grievance procedure.

Teamsters Health Care Director Jason Lopes said: “This is the third location to join our Union in the past three months.  Workers at the American Red Cross know that a Teamster contract is the only way they can get improved wages, a voice on the job and the high-quality health care that they deserve as lifesaving, Front Line Health Care Workers.”

The Teamsters represents1.2 million Members in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.

To Directly Access This Organizing Labor News Story, Go To: https://teamster.org/2022/12/american-red-cross-workers-in-kansas-vote-to-join-teamsters/