While all eyes have been on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for blood has never, and will never, stop. Canadian Blood Service (CBS) employees are still working on the front lines and the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) is demanding these workers be provided adequate protection.

In a statement from OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas, he said “It’s irresponsible. Not only is CBS ignoring our demands for the bare-minimum Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), it’s actively stopping our members from taking reasonable steps to protect themselves”. Thomas also mentioned demands for plexiglass barriers and more active screening (like temperature checks) are being ignored.





Canadian Blood Services have still been operating through the pandemic because cancer patients, pregnant women, trauma victims, and many others still require life-saving blood and plasma transfusions. “Our members take their responsibility to protect Canada’s blood supply very seriously,” said Geoff Cain, the chair of OPSEU’s CBS and Diagnostics Sector. “We’re putting ourselves at risk every day – all we ask in return is the same kinds of protections that most other health care workers are getting.”

CBS is going as far as actively stopping workers from taking steps to protect themselves and wear their own PPE. An employee who declined to be named told Barrie 360 fellow workers at a Bracebridge blood clinic were dissatisfied with the protection they were being provided and decided to collectively wear their own PPE when they came to work on Monday, March 30th. After a twenty-minute delay, the clinic opened with workers being allowed to wear masks, in juxtaposition to a clinic in Toronto being closed and workers sent home for doing the same.





There has been no word yet if the decision to allow masks was a one-time choice or if it means a more universal change. As of now, there has been no response from CBS on the issue.