SASKATOON - The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses has reached a collective agreement with Canadian Blood Services, but there is still concern when it comes to staffing.
The two sides have been working on and off since mid-2010 to get an agreement, and did so Thursday.
SUN president Tracy Zambory says the turning point in discussions was hours of work for members.
However, Zambory is disappointed in how Canadian Blood Services are staffed, especially around donor screening and blood supply.
After a two-year pilot project, Canadian Blood Services began replacing registered nurses with donor care associates who are trained in performing all clinical steps in the procedure of donating blood.
Zambory says nurses have better skills in being able to assess if a donor is suitable to donate blood.
Canadian Blood Services, which has two locations in Saskatchewan, made the move in 2012 because of a shortage of registered nurses.
(CJWW)