LifeLabs workers reach tentative agreement with employer within 1 day of starting job action

Vancouver -

A group of unionized workers have reached a tentative agreement with their employer, LifeLabs.

In a statement released Sunday, the B.C. General Employee’s Union said it had reached an agreement with the diagnostics company early in the morning and that it would be presented to union members on Monday.

“Following details being shared, BCGEU members at LifeLabs will vote on whether to accept the agreement,” reads the union’s statement.

“From the 98 per cent strike vote in July to the difficult decision to action that (strike and job action) vote this weekend, our LifeLabs members have shown solidarity and a willingness to fight to get the deal they deserve,” said BCGEU president Stephanie Smith in a statement.

“That solidarity enabled the members of our bargaining committee to make the progress at the table we have now seen.”

On Saturday the workers began job action, which included a ban on overtime, and they threatened a rotating strike. That same day, LifeLabs invited the union back to the bargaining table.

On Sunday, the union said the workers will “stand down” from continued job action until a vote on the potential collective agreement is held.

BCGEU represents about 1,550 workers at 94 LifeLabs locations across the province.