Dynacare employees working in Winnipeg and Brandon are on the brink of a strike due to heavy workloads and stagnant wages, according to their union. The Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals announced that 99.7% of laboratory technicians and technologists voted in favor of strike action this week, with 87% of the approximately 350 Dynacare workers participating in the vote.

Since their previous contract expired on April 1, the workers have been without a new agreement. These employees are stationed at Dynacare’s 22 lab and health services centers in and around Winnipeg and Brandon, including the main lab on King Edward Street in Winnipeg. In the fiscal year 2024-25, they collectively conducted over 15 million lab tests.

Jason Linklater, the president of MAHCP, highlighted that while the employees’ workloads have increased, their salaries have remained stagnant. He pointed out that current wages for Dynacare lab professionals lag behind those of Shared Health employees by 20 to 50%, depending on job classification and years of service.

The union emphasized that negotiations for a new collective agreement commenced in February after the previous one expired on March 31. Despite entering mediation in July, the parties have not reached a tentative agreement. Further bargaining and mediation dates are yet to be scheduled.

According to Linklater, strike notice will only be issued if bargaining dates are not arranged to progress negotiations, as the union aims to prevent disruptions to lab services in the province. Dynacare’s dominance in non-hospital testing in Manitoba stems from its acquisition of Unicity Labs in 2017, making it the sole private outpatient provider for laboratory services in the province.

The union additionally highlighted that Dynacare, a subsidiary of Labcorp, an American corporation, has seen a significant increase in profits over the past two years. Labcorp’s profits surged from $418 million in 2023 to $876 million in 2025, according to the union.