Front-line lab workers moved to private provider must be kept whole

Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) President Mike Parker is concerned for the well-being of its members affected by the announcement of the preferred proponent for community laboratory services in Alberta.

“We will make every effort to ensure that our members are kept whole throughout this transition, including considerations made for working conditions, benefits, including their pensions, and of course wages,” said Parker.

“We would have preferred if the announcement today would have taken into account the working conditions of the affected members rather than leaving this to be a part of the upcoming negotiations with DynaLIFE.

“Whatever the outcome of the negotiations, HSAA will continue to advocate for its members at every step of way. Only when these hard-working frontline health-care professionals are treated with fairness and respect at their workplace can Albertans rest assured that they are receiving the highest level of service,” added Parker.

“Thousands of lab workers who have been on the frontlines of testing during this pandemic have also had to live with uncertainty about their work futures. This has been unneeded additional stress caused by an ideological drive to further privatize our health-care system,” concluded Parker.

HSAA currently represents all in-scope employees at both DynaLIFE and Alberta Precision Laboratories in Alberta and is the bargaining agent for all affected contracts.