Latest news with #BCGEU
Global News
4 days ago
- Business
- Global News
BC NDP take more heat from opposition over contracts for consultants, advisers
British Columbia's NDP government is taking more fire from the opposition BC Conservatives over contracts it has awarded to top advisers. The opposition is raising new questions after the province hired Dr. Tim Stainton's consultancy to review Community Living B.C. Stainton was one of the people who helped create the Crown corporation tasked with caring for some of B.C.'s most vulnerable people. CLBC's board is also chaired by former NDP cabinet minister Shane Simpson. 3:42 BC Conservatives question top mental health advisor's salary 'It seems that the NDP continues to go to the well with former ministers, former electeds. It makes you wonder how little confidence they have in their own current cabinet members when they have to do this,' BC Conservative finance critic Peter Milobar said. Story continues below advertisement 'And the bigger problem is the lack of transparency. Never a disclosure of how much they are getting paid, what the deliverable is expected.' Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy The BC Conservatives are also flagging the appointment of former NDP environment minister George Heyman as a special advisor on public sector bargaining. Milobar noted that the province didn't announce the appointment — rather, it emerged when Heyman changed his LinkedIn profile. 'The former head of the (B.C. General Employees Union) BCGEU is now advising the government on how best to negotiate with the BCGEU, that's certainly going to work out well for the taxpayer, I am sure,' he said. The questions come as the province faces scrutiny over two other contracts. Premier David Eby terminated a contract with Michael Bryant halfway through its six-month term, saying media coverage had become a distraction from the work Bryant was meant to do advising on the future of the Downtown Eastside. 2:32 Decision to hire Downtown Eastside consultant under fire And on Thursday, the opposition raised concerns about a $1 million open-ended contract with Dr. Daniel Vigo, B.C.'s chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders. Story continues below advertisement Vigo has been instrumental in spearheading the NDP government's efforts at implementing involuntary treatment for people with severe mental health, addiction and brain injury issues. Health Minister Josie Osborne said Friday she believed Vigo's work is 'worth every penny.' 'Having an expert like Dr. Vigo come and provide advice to government and undertake a very methodical and studious examination of the data that is out there, looking with legal experts at the Mental Health Act … this is not something that can be replicated inside government,' she said. 'It is really important at this point in time that we have this expert advice. And the recommendations that Dr. Vigo and his team have put forward to government are actions we are already seeing underway.' As a part of Vigo's work, the province has now opened 28 beds in two involuntary care facilities, one at the South Fraser Pretrial Centre and one at the Alouette Homes in Maple Ridge, for people who are not in contact with the criminal justice system.
CBC
17-04-2025
- Health
- CBC
B.C. Health Coalition urges province to end contract with U.S. owner of LifeLabs
Social Sharing A public health advocacy group is urging the B.C. government to end its contract with the American company that owns LifeLabs, the province's main provider of outpatient lab services. The B.C. Health Coalition has issued an open letter asking Premier David Eby to follow through on a directive he issued last week for all government bodies to review their connections to U.S. firms amid the tariff dispute, and cancel its contract with Quest Diagnostics. The American firm acquired LifeLabs locations across Canada last year for $1.35 billion, and is now involved in a labour dispute with its B.C. workers, who are eight weeks into strike action. The 1,200 striking workers, who are members of the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU), have been conducting rotating job action, temporarily closing labs on certain days. WATCH | Rotating strikes continue at LifeLabs in B.C.: Rotating strikes continue at LifeLabs in B.C. 4 days ago Duration 6:16 It's been over seven weeks since workers began job action against their employer LifeLabs, which provides diagnostic care under contract to the government. Union president Paul Finch said the company, whose ownership is based in America, should be reviewed as part of the B.C. government's directive to rip up contracts with U.S. companies. The B.C. Health Coalition, which has about 800,000 members, says laboratory services should be fully brought into the public system. It says doing so would reduce wait times, save public money and improve both working conditions and patient care. Coalition members and striking LifeLabs workers rallied outside the B.C. Legislature on Wednesday, calling on the province to take action. "There is no economic justification to allow a U.S. corporation to provide outpatient diagnostic services in the province," BCGEU president Paul Finch said in a statement earlier this week. "Workers and the public are already noticing a decline in services since Quest took over last year." A poll commissioned by the employees' union suggests 74 per cent of British Columbians oppose American companies running health services in the province. In a statement to CBC News, the Ministry of Health said the province is currently in a 10-year contract with LifeLabs, which runs through March 2031. "Cancelling the province's contract with LifeLabs right now would cause significant delays in basic lab testing and put patients at risk," the ministry said. "It would also cost hundreds of millions of dollars and take resources away from frontline services elsewhere." While LifeLabs is now owned by Quest, the ministry noted it remains a Canadian-incorporated company. It is responsible for more than two-thirds of outpatient lab tests in B.C. — about 42 million, annually. The province said it will ensure LifeLabs complies with all contract terms to maintain the quality, accessibility and cost of lab services.
CBC
31-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Negotiations between union, employer 'definitely not moving forward' in LifeLabs strike: BCGEU rep
Nearly six weeks after workers went on strike, negotiations between LifeLabs and the union that represents about 1,200 of its workers aren't going well, according to a member of the union's bargaining committee. Wendy Cummer, a medical laboratory technologist in Kamloops, B.C., and a B.C. General Employees Union (BCGEU) bargaining committee member said talks "are definitely not moving forward at this point." "The sides are very far apart," she said. "We can't go back to our members with an offer if it doesn't give them what they need." The strike began on Feb. 16, resulting in rotating closures at locations across the province and, in turn, forcing customers who need lab work to play a game of chance when they head to a LifeLabs location. BCGEU bargaining committee chair Mandy De Fields said negotiations for better wages and changes to working conditions began in March 2024. "It's been a long haul," she said. The BCGEU represents about 1,200 workers at LifeLabs across the province, the union said. Workers say they have been without a contract since April 1, 2024. The BCGEU said LifeLabs workers are paid four to 16 per cent less than counterparts at hospitals and other companies. For example, De Fields said, lab assistants, the public-facing staff who help with specimen collection, start at $4/hr less than people doing the same job in the hospital. In Kamloops, Cummer said, this means LifeLabs is often short-staffed after people leave for better paying jobs. "They need pay and working conditions that allow us to hire and retain qualified people, not hire someone and then lose them in a few months when they realize the stress of working short all the time." The union said people are skipping meal and washroom breaks and are working forced overtime as a result. In an emailed statement to CBC News, LifeLabs confirmed negotiations are ongoing but would not comment on the status of those conversations. The company did not answer questions about the impact to customers but instead pointed to their online " location finder" designed to let people know which locations are open during the strike. Last summer, LifeLabs was purchased by Quest Diagnostics, an American company, for approximately $1.35 billion Cdn. Cummer, who has worked at LifeLabs in Kamloops for 33 years, said customers are also feeling the consequences of staffing shortages with increased wait times, lineups for walk-in appointments and long waits to get results. "We are an essential service in British Columbia," she said. "We are fighting for ourselves and our patients."
CBC
17-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
B.C. LifeLabs workers launch strike over wages and working conditions
Social Sharing More than a thousand unionized LifeLabs workers across B.C. walked off the job Sunday, launching a strike over wages, staffing shortages and working conditions. The job action comes after months of unsuccessful negotiations between LifeLabs and the B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU), which represents the approximately 1,200 employees. The workers, who provide essential lab testing services to help diagnose illnesses, say they have been without a contract since April 1, 2024. They are demanding wage parity with hospital laboratory employees performing similar work, arguing that the current pay gap — ranging between four and 16 per cent — has led to retention and recruitment challenges. WATCH | B.C. LifeLabs workers walk off the job: Hundreds of B.C. LifeLabs workers go on strike 12 hours ago Duration 2:12 Workers at one of the country's largest lab diagnostic providers are on strike. As Sohrab Sandhu reports, the union says LifeLabs employees have been without a contract for nearly a year, and the job action comes after months of unsuccessful negotiations. LifeLabs, the lab testing service provider, annually serves over 7.1 million patients in B.C. at its about 130 collection centres located in urban and rural communities. In a statement, the company acknowledged the labour dispute and said it is taking steps to minimize disruptions. "As a designated essential service, LifeLabs will continue to operate," the company said. However, it confirmed that some patient service centres will be closed on a rotating basis. LifeLabs is advising patients to check its website for updates on closures and available services. Mandy DeFields, a medical laboratory technologist with LifeLabs, was among more than 100 striking workers rallying outside a LifeLabs location in Burnaby on Sunday afternoon. She said the wage disparity is particularly stark in her position, where her pay is about 12.5 per cent lower than her counterparts in hospital settings. "We see skilled professionals leaving for better paying jobs all the time," DeFields told CBC News. "We need to close that wage gap in order to maintain the staffing we have." "We've been bargaining for 11 months. We haven't seen movement at the table," said BCGEU president Paul Finch, who was also at the rally. The union issued a 72-hour strike notice on Thursday, following a strike vote last November where 98 per cent of participating members supported job action. The union is also calling for improved health and safety protections and more predictable scheduling. "Our members want proper scheduling and full scheduling so that they don't work short shifts," Finch said. He said union members from as far as Nanaimo and Kamloops travelled to be part of the Burnaby rally, braving the cold and rain to make their voices heard. "This is a struggle between a group of workers here in B.C. … and an American for-profit Fortune 500 company," said the union president. LifeLabs was acquired by the U.S.-based Quest Diagnostics in August last year in a $1.35-billion deal. The sale has raised concerns among workers and union representatives, who worry about potential cost-cutting measures that could impact both employees and patients. "They basically want to see their profit margins increase, and we are not going to allow their profit margins to increase on the backs of the patients and our members who work at LifeLabs," Finch said. The strike has drawn support from other health-care unions, including the Health Sciences Association of B.C. The association's president Kane Tse said wages in the sector haven't kept up with increasing demand and rising costs.
CBC
14-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
B.C. LifeLabs workers could start striking on Sunday, says union
Workers at B.C. LifeLabs locations could go on strike as early as Sunday morning. The B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) issued a 72 hour strike notice on Thursday, after months of unsuccessful negotiations with the employer over wages and benefits. If the job action goes ahead, it would begin at 11 a.m. Sunday, LifeLabs told CBC News in an email. "As a designated essential service, LifeLabs will continue to operate," the company said. "However, some LifeLabs locations may be subject to rotating temporary closures." LifeLabs employees have been working without contracts since April 1, 2024. According to the union, ninety-eight per cent of workers voted in favour of strike action last November. Workers at LifeLabs are asking for wages and benefits to be aligned with what similar employers offer, and they want understaffing to be addressed, BCGEU said in a press release. Compared to similar employers, LifeLabs workers are paid four to 16 per cent less for the same work, said BCGEU president Paul Finch in a press release. On Sunday, Feb. 16 LifeLabs workers will be hosting a one-day rally at the Burnaby Reference Lab to begin the strike. "We're full steam ahead for the rally on Sunday, I'll be there and we've seen large community support," Finch said in an interview with CBC News. LifeLabs, which offers laboratory tests to help diagnose illnesses, is owned by an American company, Quest Diagnostics.
