Dynacare lab employees in Winnipeg and Brandon are on the brink of a potential strike due to heavy workloads and stagnant pay, according to their union. The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals announced that laboratory technicians and technologists voted overwhelmingly in favor of strike action, with 99.7% supporting the decision. The union revealed that 87% of the nearly 350 Dynacare workers participated in the vote, and they have been working without a contract since the previous one expired on April 1.
These workers are stationed at Dynacare’s 22 lab and health facilities in and around Winnipeg and Brandon, including the main lab on King Edward Street in Winnipeg. Together, they conducted more than 15 million lab tests in the 2024-25 fiscal year. Despite the increased workload, their wages have remained stagnant, as noted by MAHCP president Jason Linklater.
Linklater pointed out that current wages for Dynacare lab professionals lag behind those of Shared Health employees performing similar specialized tasks by 20 to 50%. He emphasized that the wage gap varies depending on the job classification and years of service. The union described the workers as “unified and angry,” indicating their discontent with the existing situation.
Negotiations for a new collective agreement between Dynacare and MAHCP began in February after the previous agreement expired on March 31. However, despite entering mediation in July, the parties have not reached a tentative agreement. The union reported that no further bargaining or mediation sessions have been scheduled at this time.
The union clarified that they would need to provide notice before initiating a strike but have refrained from setting a deadline to avoid disruptions to lab services in the province. Linklater stated that strike notice would only be issued if bargaining dates are not arranged to continue the negotiation process. The union’s goal is to urge Dynacare to return to the bargaining table and reach a mutually acceptable agreement with lab professionals across the province.
According to the union, Dynacare holds a monopoly on non-hospital testing in Manitoba, becoming the sole private outpatient provider for laboratory services in the province following the acquisition of Unicity Labs in 2017. The company, a subsidiary of Labcorp, an American corporation, reportedly saw its profits more than double in the past two years, increasing from $418 million in 2023 to $876 million in 2025.