American-owned Quest Diagnostics purchased LifeLabs in August 2024 from OMERS, a jointly owned pension fund company, for $1.35 billion. LifeLabs’ B.C. workers, who have been without a contract since last April, have been on strike since Feb. 16.
Ayendri Riddell, director of policy and campaigns with the BC Health Coalition, or BCHC, says the fact that such a large part of Canada’s health infrastructure is owned by a massive foreign company is cause for concern.
“As a company they’re not accountable to the Canadian workforce or to our health-care system and our patients,” she says. “It doesn’t seem like their striking conditions are having much of an impact on Quest.”
What will we do to support the strike and make it have an impact?
Most places have alternative labs, don’t use lifelabs if it’s avoidable, and also tell your doctor you won’t use lifelabs if they are referring.