FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 4, 2025

Patients and LifeLabs workers rally for fair deal 

BURNABY, B.C. (Coast Salish Territories) –  Bringing together striking LifeLabs workers and the patients that rely on them, the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) and the BC Health Coalition will hold a joint rally in Burnaby, B.C. on Sunday, April 6, 2025, to support the fight for a fair deal. 

“LifeLabs workers aren't just on strike for fair wages – they're fighting to address the chronic understaffing that leads to long wait times at Patient Service Centres and negative impacts on patient care,” said BCGEU president Paul Finch. 

Understaffing means workers are skipping meal and washroom breaks and working forced overtime to keep up with workload. Unsurprisingly, workers are quitting due to overwork, exhaustion and unfair compensation. The burnout that results for those who remain makes the expected level of service unsustainable. 

“If this continues, patients in the Lower Mainland and throughout the province will experience diminishing levels of service unless LifeLabs takes meaningful action to address working conditions,” Finch said. 

“As a senior and as a LifeLabs patient, I stand firmly with striking LifeLabs workers in their fight to protect publicly funded services,” said Leslie Gaudette, president of Council of Senior Citizens' Organizations of BC. “I’ve experienced the increase of wait-times to book an appointment at LifeLabs, I’ve witnessed other seniors who have been sent home because staff were not able to schedule them in. Delays in testing mean delays in treatment, and this can have dire consequences for anyone who has complex health needs.” 

LifeLabs is owned by Quest Diagnostics, a billion-dollar Fortune 500 U.S. healthcare giant. A recent poll by the BCGEU showed a majority of people (74%) in British Columbia oppose for-profit American companies owning and controlling health care services in the province.

Workers believe part of the barrier to getting a fair deal is that too many of our public health dollars are being turned over to CEO profits. B.C. taxpayers give LifeLabs $300 million each year for their services and those health dollars should stay in B.C. to pay fair wages and maintain services. 

“A U.S. corporation now controls the majority of B.C.’s outpatient lab services – this has a really negative impact on our public healthcare system,” said Colleen Fuller, BC Health Coalition Steering Committee member and a health policy researcher. “Quest decided to shut down all microbiology testing outside of Surrey, undermining timely access in the rest of the province. And we know that poor quality working conditions contribute to poor quality health care, including delays and longer wait times. We should not be handing over $300 million a year to a U.S. corporation that prioritizes profits over patients. We need the B.C. government to bring lab testing fully into the public system.” 

Media are invited to attend the solidarity rally: 
 

WHAT: LifeLabs patients and workers rally together in Burnaby for improved conditions, fair deal. 

WHEN: Sunday, April 6, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. PST 

WHO: Striking BCGEU members working at LifeLabs joined by BCGEU union leaders, the BC Health Coalition and other supporters. BCGEU president Paul Finch; Colleen Fuller, Health Policy Researcher from the BC Health Coalition; Leslie Gaudette, a LifeLabs patient and president of Council of Senior Citizens' Organizations of BC; and a LifeLabs bargaining committee member will be available for interviews. 

WHERE: 4250 Kingsway, #210, Burnaby, B.C. 

VISUALS: Rallying LifeLabs workers and supporters with colourful flags and signs. 
 

The BCGEU is seeking wage increases that close the gap with those in the public sector doing the same work, solutions to short-staffing and workload issues, and improvements to health and safety benefits.

The BCGEU represents about 1,200 workers at LifeLabs throughout the province who have been on strike since February 16, 2025.

For more information, please contact: 

Bronwen Barnett 
Communications Officer 
BCGEU 
[email protected] 

Colleen Fuller 
Health Policy Researcher 
BC Health Coalition 
[email protected]

-- 

About the BCGEU 
The BCGEU is one of the largest unions in British Columbia, with over 90,000 members in almost every community and economic sector. www.handsoffourhealthcare.ca 

About the BC Health Coalition 
The BC Health Coalition is a B.C.-wide non-partisan, non-profit coalition of community members, health care workers, researchers, NGO and community service providers. We base our policy positions on peer-reviewed research and on our mission to strengthen and defend the public health care system. 

UWU/MoveUP