Advertisement 1

Long lineups expected as local blood lab workers set to strike Monday

Expect long lineups as unionized workers at Medical Laboratories of Windsor are set to go on strike Monday morning across Windsor and Essex County at the company's blood labs.

Article content

Unionized workers at Medical Laboratories of Windsor got their picket signs Saturday in preparation for a strike early Monday morning across Windsor and Essex County at the company’s blood labs.

Only a few other labs in the city do blood and urine tests, so there could be long waits as people are turned away at 11 Medical Laboratories of Windsor locations that will be behind picket lines. 

Advertisement 2
Story continues below
Article content

“For the public, we hope it’s not a long strike,” Ken Durocher, vice-president of Unifor Local 2458, said Saturday after a closed-door meeting with unionized workers. “We’re hoping we can get some dates and get back to the table.”

Article content

There are no scheduled negotiations. The 90 local lab workers represented by Unifor are set to strike at 12:01 a.m. Monday.

Unifor Local 2458 bargaining committee members Dina Roushanroz, left, Jacqueline Smith, Danielle Bojaruniec and Ken DesRosiers prepare to meet Sept. 30, 2017, with union members to discuss a labour dispute with Medical Laboratories of Windsor.
Unifor Local 2458 bargaining committee members Dina Roushanroz, left, Jacqueline Smith, Danielle Bojaruniec and Ken DesRosiers prepare to meet Sept. 30, 2017, with union members to discuss a labour dispute with Medical Laboratories of Windsor. Photo by Nick Brancaccio /Windsor Star

Jennifer Yee, vice president of operations, said the company was finalizing its contingency plans Sunday afternoon. “Patients can expect some delay,” she said.

It’s the first time the workers will have gone on strike, so it’s not clear how quickly a backlog of people needing tests will develop or how long the lineups might get. Medical Laboratories of Windsor operates most of the city’s labs.

Yee said she hopes the issue is resolved quickly but confirmed there are no scheduled negotiations. The company was offering increased wages, vacations and benefits with no concessions, she said. She wouldn’t give specifics. 

“We were very surprised and disappointed that the agreement wasn’t ratified.”

Medical lab assistants, the people who draw the blood and take urine samples, will be on strike along with medical lab technicians who analyze the blood, biopsies and pap smears at the company’s Ouellette Avenue location. The workers on strike do not do ultrasounds and EKGs, he said. 

Advertisement 3
Story continues below
Article content

Don’t go to the hospital to get regular blood tests, said Ron Foster, vice-president of public affairs at Windsor Regional Hospital. The hospital only receives funding for its lab for its own patients.

More than a week ago, when asked about the possibility of a strike, Essex County Medical Society president Dr. Amit Bagga said it would significantly limit the available lab options in the city and would cause a lot of congestion in the other labs. The Star left messages for Bagga on the weekend.

“There would be a significant impact on patients trying to figure out which labs to go to because they are used to certain locations, and the existing labs that are there would have a significant volume to try to keep up on,” Bagga said earlier in September.

Durocher said the dispute with the employer is about lack of respect for the workers.

“We want to make it clear that there are a lot of issues at that workplace. It just seems the workload, there’s just been no respect towards the members. That’s what they feel. And, of course, with the low wage, that is an issue as far as the respect issue,” Durocher said.

Advertisement 4
Story continues below
Article content

The starting wage for a medical lab assistant, the people who draw the blood for testing, is $12.50 an hour, he said. Ontario’s minimum wage is set to rise from $11.40 an hour to $11.60 on Oct. 1.

Durocher said it takes 10 years of work for a medical lab assistant to earn $17.50 an hour.

Medical lab technicians who run the tests on the samples start at $20.50 an hour.

There are 11 Medical Laboratories of Windsor locations across Windsor and Essex County, including the main facility on Ouellette Avenue and labs in Leamington, LaSalle, Belle River, Amherstburg and Tecumseh.

The union and company reached a tentative deal last week but the membership turned it down. Durocher did not give details of that vote or what was in the offer.

Workers, who had been without a contract since March, voted 97 per cent in favour of a strike Sept. 6. 

Workers approached by the Star Saturday did not want to comment.

shill@postmedia.com

twitter.com/winstarhill

Article content
Comments
You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.
Join the Conversation

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

This Week in Flyers