FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MAY 12, 2026
CARDIOLOGY STAFF AT MANITOBA CLINIC ISSUE STRIKE NOTICE
Rescheduled or cancelled cardiac tests may occur starting May 19
Winnipeg, MB — Cardiology technologists and technicians at WELL Health – Manitoba Clinic plan to walk off the job on May 19, 2026, after rejecting their employer’s offer on Friday. The employees are represented by the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP), a union of 7,600 allied health professionals. The employee’s contract expired January 1, 2026. Negotiations between the union and employer began in December 2025.
“WELL Health, a private, national conglomerate with deep pockets, has made it clear they are not willing to give another inch at the bargaining table, so our members feel they have no other choice but to issue strike notice,” said MAHCP President Jason Linklater. “Doctors can’t diagnose their patients without the testing these specialized cardiology technology professionals provide, but it’s obvious WELL Health doesn’t value that work.”
The employer proposal that MAHCP members rejected on Friday included wages that are, on average, 27 per cent behind cardiology testing staff performing the same work in public hospitals and clinics. WELL Health Technologies, a B.C.-based company with a national network of more than 180 clinics, purchased Manitoba Clinic in the final quarter of 2023. This is the first round of contract negotiations since the acquisition, and the first strike notice issued since MAHCP unionized Manitoba Clinic cardiology staff in 1996.
A small group of five cardiology technologists and technicians perform as many as 180 non-invasive cardiac tests per day, including EKGs, stress tests and Holter monitors. Most tests are ordered by a group of seven cardiologists based at the clinic. Staff have noted a marked increase in test volume this year.
The stock price of WELL Health Technologies (TSX: WELL) has increased nearly 3,700 per cent over the past 10 years, while quarterly profits were up by 39 per cent in the most recent earnings report.
“The billion-dollar parent company can afford to pay their workers competitive wages,” added Linklater. “WELL Health is clearly focused on shareholder value, not on providing the patient-centered care Manitobans were promised.”
The strike, scheduled to begin on May 19 if an agreement cannot be reached before then, could mean cancelled or rescheduled appointments for hundreds of patients. Members of the public who are scheduled for upcoming cardiac testing at the Manitoba Clinic are encouraged to call their doctor’s office directly with questions.
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MEDIA INQUIRIES:
Tim Smith, Senior Advisor – Policy & Public Affairs
tim@mahcp.ca or cell: 431-337-7787