Unhappy Dynacare staff refuse OT shifts; doors could be closed at clinics with Saturday hours

Some Winnipeg Dynacare sites normally open on Saturday were closed last weekend, and may continue to be because staff are refusing to pick up overtime shifts after they were forced back to work amid a labour dispute with the company.

In a statement Friday, Dynacare said people should check the company’s website for Saturday openings “that are subject to staff availability.”

The union representing Dynacare’s 350 employees has said the company pays them 20 to 50 per cent less than their public-sector counterparts, and has struggled to find technicians for the weekend shifts.

“Dynacare won’t be able to staff their labs with wages that are so far behind,” Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals president Jason Linklater said in a statement.

“We’re already seeing staffing challenges resulting in more lab closures, while Dynacare is growing increasingly desperate, offering double and triple overtime pay. Morale is so low that even these incentives aren’t working.”

The 350 lab technicians and technologists, who’ve been without a contract since March 31, went on strike briefly Sept. 8 for wage parity before the Manitoba Labour Board issued an interim order forcing them back to work while it decides whether or not they provide an essential service. That decision is due no later than Oct. 1.

The company said Friday that just four of the seven laboratory and health services centres that regularly operate Saturdays were open last Saturday as scheduled during their regular hours of 7:30 a.m. to noon.

The reduction in Saturday hours was based on “operational needs and available staffing resources,” a prepared statement from Dynacare corporate communications said.

“Once those locations reached capacity, they were marked as closed on our website while staff continued to serve patients until noon.”

On Friday, Dynacare said it anticipated those locations (1225 St. Mary’s Rd., 3-1581 Regent Ave. W., D-2211 McPhillips St., and 1-515 Sterling Lyon Pkwy.) would likely be open again this weekend, subject to staff availability.

“We encourage individuals to check the Dynacare website for the latest hours and availability before visiting. Our priority remains delivering safe, high-quality patient care while making the best use of available resources across our network.”

Linklater said staff would likely make themselves more available to work Saturdays if they received a fair wage.

“If the huge wage gap isn’t resolved soon, the services Manitobans rely on will be put at increasing risk,” he said.

“Dynacare has made it clear they aren’t coming back to the bargaining table, so the Manitoba government must step in and ensure equal wages for these 100 per cent, publicly funded lab workers who perform half of all lab services for Manitobans.”

The five-year contract the NDP government signed with the private, American-owned company last year included increasing access and quality of service.

Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said at the time that the company must get the government’s permission to close any site, change hours or modify services, and that there are non-compliance penalties for failing to meet performance indicators such as wait times and test accuracy. It was not clear Friday if the company notified the government of the reduced Saturday hours, or if it faces any non-compliance penalty.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca