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'It's been a year since these health care professionals voted to join a union. It's time they had a contract!' - Elisabeth Ballermann.
Edmonton (11 Aug. 2009) - More than 900 DynaLIFE Dx laboratory employees across central and northern Alberta are poised to walk off the job Friday, Aug. 14, at 6 a.m. after an overwhelming vote to strike if necessary to win a first contract.
"The last thing these professionals want is to withdraw their services to the public, but they have not been left with any other option," says Elisabeth Ballermann, president of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA/NUPGE).
"DynaLIFE defends its offer by stating it is ‘unique'. Our members are tired of being so ‘unique' that they are subsidizing DynaLIFE shareholders' profits with substandard compensation. It's been a year since these health care professionals voted to join a union. It's time they had a contract!"
Ballermann said the strike vote confirms unequivocally the determination of the members to achieve a satisfactory collective agreement.
She adds that the vote was taken on the heels of a "lengthy and fruitless" bargaining process that failed to produce an acceptable first collective agreement for the employees, who are currently the lowest paid laboratory health workers in the province.
"This employer has an opportunity to avoid service disruption but the window is now extremely narrow," says Ballermann, noting the union is still available to meet with the employer should a new proposal be forthcoming.
"As DynaLIFE has stated on numerous occasions throughout the negotiating process, they can afford to fairly compensate their employees – they just don't want to."
17% wage deficit
Ballermann says the decisin to strike by the employees was the result of an "anemic" final offer from DynaLIFE Dx that would have left its 900-member workforce - in terms of total compensation - close to 17% behind the provincial industry standard, which includes Calgary Lab Services and HSAA's provincial collective agreement.
DynaLIFE Dx is a corporate entity of Borealis Investments and the Laboratory Corporation of America. In 2008, the Laboratory Corporation of America posted annual revenues of $4.5B. DynaLIFE Dx, a private laboratory service, is predominantly funded through Alberta Health Services (AHS).
HSAA is now in a position to strike on 72 hours notice at any time over the next 120 days.
DynaLIFE Dx operates 36 labs across central and northern Alberta, including locations in Red Deer, Fort McMurray and High Level. It has 21 labs throughout Edmonton.
Should job action occur, the impact on the diagnostic services would be serious since 85% of all medical diagnosis is based, in part, on tests undertaken by laboratory professionals.
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE