Canadian Blood Services workers on strike in Charlottetown

Canadian Blood Services collection workers in Charlottetown are officially on strike as of Monday morning.

Picketers have been outside the blood donor clinic on Fitzroy Street since 8:30 a.m.

The 11 workers are part-time employees and members of the Nova Scotia Union of Public and Private Employees (NSUPE).

The main issue is the minimum number of hours employees are guaranteed to work.

They are asking for three staff at 30 hours a week, two staff at 22 hours and one staff at 18.75 hours.

"It's really too bad. We all love our jobs and we love what we do.That's why I've been here for almost 16 years, some of the others 15, 14 years," said Tanya Herrell, president of NSUPE Local 19.

"It's a great place to work. You know, the donors are always happy to be here. But we're very firm in our belief that we're not asking for too much, you know. We're just being fair."

Herrell saysat this point, the strike should not affect the supply of blood to people on the Island who need it.

But she says the supply could eventually be impacted, depending on how long the strike lasts.