MAHCP issues strike deadline to Dynacare: September 8, 2026
Notice follows 99.7 per cent strike mandate
AUGUST 21, 2026—Winnipeg—The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP) today issued a strike deadline for nearly 350 laboratory professionals working at Dynacare’s 22 laboratory and health services centres in Winnipeg, Brandon, and surrounding communities. Dynacare is a subsidiary of North Carolina-based Labcorp. Last week, MAHCP members voted 99.7 per cent in favour of a strike mandate. Dynacare wages have fallen 20 to 50 per cent behind public hospital laboratories since 2017.
Job action is slated to begin at 6:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 8, 2026, following the Labour Day weekend, unless parties reach a tentative agreement before the deadline.
“We hoped that a 99.7 per cent strike mandate would motivate Dynacare to come back to the bargaining table with a competitive offer, but their actions are telling us to get ready for a strike,” said MAHCP President Jason Linklater. “If Dynacare would rather have a strike than pay their employees market wages, then our members are prepared to fight for what they deserve.”
MAHCP and Dynacare agreed in March 2026, shortly after negotiations began, that it is not necessary to continue Dynacare’s laboratory services in the event of a strike, under provincial essential services legislation (s.94.3(2) of The Labour Relations Act). As Dynacare operations depend on laboratory technicians and technologists, it is anticipated that all Dynacare Laboratory and Health Services Centres, and the main processing laboratory in Winnipeg, would cease operations for the duration of strike action. The same outpatient laboratory services Dynacare provides are available at any public hospital and some public clinics.
“Dynacare is already facing staffing challenges because of their low wages, and a strike could drive even more employees away,” said Linklater. “It’s in everyone’s interest to avoid a strike, but Dynacare has to get back to the table with a serious offer that addresses the huge and growing wage gap, and recognizes the value of these professionals who perform millions of tests for Manitobans.”
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About MAHCP
MAHCP is a member-driven, democratic union of more than 7,600 allied health professionals, including more than 350 medical laboratory sciences professionals working at Dynacare. Our members deliver high-quality patient, client, and resident care in 50+ distinct professions across hundreds of classifications, and working in diagnostics, assessment, rehabilitation, treatment, and therapy, in labs, hospitals, clinics, long-term care, and community settings. www.mahcp.ca
For media inquiries, please contact:
Tim Smith
Senior Advisor, Policy and Public Affairs
tim@mahcp.ca