Negotiations between union, employer 'definitely not moving forward' in LifeLabs strike: BCGEU rep

About six weeks after workers went on strike, negotiations between LifeLabs and the union that represents about 1,200 of its workers aren't going well, according to a member of the union's bargaining committee. 

Wendy Cummer, a medical laboratory technologist in Kamloops, B.C., and a B.C. General Employees Union (BCGEU) bargaining committee member said talks "are definitely not moving forward at this point."

"The sides are very far apart," she said. "We can't go back to our members with an offer if it doesn't give them what they need."

The strike began on Feb. 16, resulting in rotating closures at locations across the province and, in turn, forcing customers who need lab work to play a game of chance when they head to a LifeLabs location. 

BCGEU bargaining committee chair Mandy De Fields said negotiations for better wages and changes to working conditions began in March 2024. 

"It's been a long haul," she said. 

The BCGEU represents about 1,200 workers at LifeLabs across the province, the union said. 

Workers say they have been without a contract since April 1, 2024. 

The BCGEU said LifeLabs workers are paid four to 16 per cent less than counterparts at hospitals and other companies. For example, De Fields said, lab assistants, the public-facing staff who help with specimen collection, start at $4/hr less than people doing the same job in the hospital. 

In Kamloops, Cummer said, this means LifeLabs is often short-staffed after people leave for better paying jobs. 

"They need pay and working conditions that allow us to hire and retain qualified people, not hire someone and then lose them in a few months when they realize the stress of working short all the time."

The union said people are skipping meal and washroom breaks and are working forced overtime as a result. 

In an emailed statement to CBC News, LifeLabs confirmed negotiations are ongoing but would not comment on the status of those conversations. The company did not answer questions about the impact to customers but instead pointed to their online "location finder" designed to let people know which locations are open during the strike. 

Last summer, LifeLabs was purchased by Quest Diagnostics, an American company, for approximately $1.35 billion Cdn. 

Cummer, who has worked at LifeLabs in Kamloops for 33 years, said customers are also feeling the consequences of staffing shortages with increased wait times, lineups for walk-in appointments and long waits to get results. 

"We are an essential service in British Columbia," she said.  "We are fighting for ourselves and our patients."