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B.C. LifeLabs workers could start strike on Sunday, says union

The B.C. General Employees' Union delivered a 72-hour strike notice to LifeLabs on Thursday.

LifeLabs says strike may result in rotating closures

Santana Dreaver · CBC News ·
A dark hallway with a giant LifeLabs sign running nearly its entire length.
LifeLabs and B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) are negotiating a new agreement. (Cole Burston/The Canadian Press)

Workers at B.C. LifeLabs locations could go on strike as early as Sunday morning.

The B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) issued a 72 hour strike notice on Thursday, after months of unsuccessful negotiations with the employer over wages and benefits.

If the job action goes ahead, it would begin at 11 a.m. Sunday, LifeLabs told CBC News in an email. 

"As a designated essential service, LifeLabs will continue to operate," the company said. "However, some LifeLabs locations may be subject to rotating temporary closures."

LifeLabs employees have been working without contracts since April 1, 2024. According to the union, ninety-eight per cent of workers voted in favour of strike action last November.

Workers at LifeLabs are asking for wages and benefits to be aligned with what similar employers offer, and they want understaffing to be addressed, BCGEU said in a press release.

Compared to similar employers, LifeLabs workers are paid four to 16 per cent less for the same work, said BCGEU president Paul Finch in a press release.

On Sunday, Feb. 16 LifeLabs workers will be hosting a one-day rally at the Burnaby Reference Lab to begin the strike.

"We're full steam ahead for the rally on Sunday, I'll be there and we've seen large community support," Finch said in an interview with CBC News. 

LifeLabs, which offers laboratory tests to help diagnose illnesses, is owned by an American company, Quest Diagnostics. 

The BCGEU represents approximately 1,200 LifeLabs workers around the province. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Santana Dreaver

Journalist

Santana Dreaver is a Saulteaux and Plains Cree journalist based in Vancouver. She was raised in northern Saskatchewan and is a member of Mistawasis Nehiyawak. She has a background in political science and reports on Indigenous affairs, culture and governance.

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