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The CBS, which manages Canada’s blood supply, was created in 1998 on the recommendation of the Krever Inquiry into the thousands of Canadians who became infected with the AIDS virus and hepatitis C because of tainted blood products.

The tainted blood affair is the biggest public health disaster in Canada’s history, leading to the high-profile Krever Inquiry, billions in legal claims and the destruction of public trust in the blood system.

“While Canadian Blood Services did not exist during the tainted blood tragedy, we learned valuable lessons from this history that guide our decision-making. Canada’s blood system is vastly different than it was during the 1980s and ’90s and is now one of the safest in the world,” said Mumford.

CBS and OPSEU are squaring off at the bargaining table this week in an attempt to reach a settlement and avoid a strike that could disrupt blood collection across the province.

The parties have three days of talks to reach a deal before Thursday, when the union can legally strike or the employer can lock out workers.

The talks coincided with OPSEU’s ads and videos that invoked the spectre of another tainted blood scandal if CBS proceeds with layoffs and the other contract changes that the union claims will dismantle the services’ permanent workforce and replace it with cheaper part-time and casual workers.

OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas defended the ads, arguing the lesson learned from that tragedy 25 years ago is “that the safety and security of the blood supply must be bulletproof.”