On May 20, minutes before an extended strike deadline and nearly two days of conciliation, cardiac testing members at WELL Health – Manitoba Clinic ratified a new three-year collective agreement (effective January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2028).
The members, a small but strong group of five cardiac testing staff, voted YES to:
- Significant general wage increases in each year of the agreement
- Health spending account increase
- New 20-year long service step wage increase
- Income protection increase
- New “WELL Day” to support mental or physical well-being
- Family sick time increase
- Bereavement leave increase
To our members working at WELL Health – Manitoba Clinic: Thank you for your strength and bravery! We could not have achieved this outcome without you. When it comes to reaching a fair agreement, standing united and holding firm is what moves us forward at the bargaining table.
Averting the strike
Cardiology Technicians and Technologists at Manitoba Clinic wanted fair wages, but instead, their employer — WELL Health — threatened to fire them, shut down their department, and close the cardiac clinic, putting Manitoba patient care at risk.
The members, represented by MAHCP, had been earning 35 to 45 per cent less than their colleagues performing the same work in public hospitals and clinics. During bargaining, WELL Health — part of a billion-dollar, publicly-traded company based in B.C. — argued it couldn’t afford to pay its workers more, despite record profits and soaring stock prices.
After rejecting their employer’s final offer, Manitoba Clinic members planned to walk off the job on Tuesday, May 19. As the original strike deadline loomed, the employer reached out to ask for conciliation. And when the second strike deadline was about to expire, WELL Health finally presented MAHCP a tentative agreement that recognized its workforce’s worth.
“The billion-dollar parent company always had the means to pay parity. What changed was the pressure. Thank you to our Cardiology Technicians and Technologists for being brave and staying strong.” – MAHCP President Jason Linklater
Helping send WELL Health’s management team a message
A strike is always the last resort. To help send a message, more than 600 people signed MAHCP’s petition to tell WELL Health’s management that cardiac testing staff deserve fair wages. Together, we sent employer representatives 1,800+ emails asking them to get back to the bargaining table, treat their employees with the respect they deserve, and recognize that patients and profits depend on the skilled work our members do.
MAHCP also held an informational picket on Friday, May 15 to rally behind cardiac testing staff. More than 50 supporters — including MAHCP members, staff, and other unionists and labour rights activists — showed up outside Manitoba Clinic to demand fair wages for cardiac testing staff.
Gallery: MAHCP’s informational picket in support of fair wages for cardiac testing staff at WELL Health – Manitoba Clinic