Vancouver, British Columbia (October 20, 2021) – LifeLabs would like to share that the British Columbia General Employees’ Union (BCGEU), which represents some of LifeLabs’ front-line employees in BC, has served a 72-hour strike notice.
LifeLabs has been negotiating with the BCGEU since April 2021 to secure a new collective agreement. We have delivered multiple, competitive offers to the BCGEU and reached agreement on several specific proposals – including key monetary proposals. However, after the BCGEU rejected our latest offer, we agreed that we have reached an impasse in bargaining.
LifeLabs has been designated an Essential Service by the BC Labour Relations Board. We have worked with the BCGEU and the Board to determine the essential service levels that we will maintain in order to provide vital outpatient laboratory testing for our patients.
Most LifeLabs patient service centres will remain open, and laboratories will continue to function as usual. However, some patient service centres will be closed on a rotating basis as a result of the job action. Patients with appointments that need to be rescheduled will be notified directly by LifeLabs. We ask that patients visit https://locations.lifelabs.com/ for complete details on impacted locations and hours of operation.
We are committed to taking all steps possible to minimize disruption to patients and health care providers. We want to thank you for your patience at this time.
About LifeLabs
LifeLabs is Canada’s leader in laboratory diagnostic information and health connectivity solutions, leveraging innovative and personalized digital tools that empower customers to live their best life. Our dedicated and talented team of 6,000 employees supports 20 million lab visits and conducts over 100 million laboratory tests annually. LifeLabs is 100% Canadian-owned by OMERS Infrastructure, the infrastructure investment manager of one of Canada’s largest defined benefit pension plans. Learn more at www.lifelabs.com
Media Contact: Media@LifeLabs.com