EQUAL WAGES FOR DYNACARE WORKERS WOULD COST $6 MILLION IN 2026/27
MAHCP Releases Part of Government’s Contract with Dynacare
SEPTEMBER 15, 2026—Winnipeg—The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP) is calling on the Province to fix its contract with Dynacare and fund equal wages for 350 laboratory technicians and technologists whom it forced back to work earlier this week.
“When the health minister signed a new five-year contract with Dynacare last year, it trapped publicly funded healthcare workers in jobs that pay 20 to 50 per cent less than public laboratories,” said MAHCP President Jason Linklater. “Now government has taken away the rights of those same underpaid laboratory professionals to fight for higher wages, so government should fix the mess they have created and pay the people they depend on what they’re worth.”
On September 9, when asked how he would ensure a fair deal for these publicly funded healthcare workers, Premier Wab Kinew told CBC’s Information Radio: “Let’s say we as a government gave Dynacare ‘X’ many million more dollars, how are we going to make sure that money actually makes it to the workers… we can’t.” In response, MAHCP is releasing a portion of government’s contract with the American-owned company, obtained through freedom of information, that contradicts the premier’s claim that he is powerless. The contract shows that government has broad authority to direct Dynacare, stating that the company must “comply with all reasonable directions and requests of Manitoba.”
According to the union, the cost of restoring wage parity with public-sector labs is approximately $6 million in 2026/27, representing less than one-tenth of one per cent (0.06 per cent) of the Manitoba government’s $10 billion healthcare budget, or six cents for every 100 dollars spent on health care. The union’s costing was calculated by a chartered professional accountant based on current staffing, and includes benefits and a contingency to account for vacancies. Dynacare’s final offer would have funded less than 15 per cent of the cost of wage parity with public labs.
MAHCP has pointed out that the incremental cost of restoring wage parity with public labs, which Dynacare workers had in 2017, is well warranted given the volume and importance of the testing its members do for Manitobans. According to Dynacare, its laboratory staff perform half of all blood draws, laboratory tests, and cytology tests in Manitoba.
“Last year, government cut a low-ball deal with an American-owned company and did not take Dynacare’s lab workers into account,” said Linklater. “If Dynacare doesn’t restore equal wages for these laboratory professionals that Manitobans depend on, then the Manitoba government can and must step in to make it right.”
SOURCE: Current Community Laboratory Services Agreement between the Government of Manitoba and Dynacare.
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About MAHCP
MAHCP is a member-driven, democratic union of more than 7,700 allied health professionals. We are the only labour union in Manitoba solely dedicated to professional/technical and paramedical occupational groups. 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:
Tim Smith – Senior Advisor, Policy and Public Affairs
431-337-7787 or tim@mahcp.ca