Lab workers at SickKids join OPSEU

Medical laboratory staff at the Hospital for Sick Children have voted 74 per cent in favour of joining the union.

Toronto (27 Aug. 2015) — In a representation vote held on August 18, over 230 laboratory technologists, technicians and assistants, phlebotomists, test development technologists, resource technologists and senior resource technologists at the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) voted for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) as their union of choice.

The laboratory staff had identified a number of areas of concern, including

• work overload, largely due to unfilled vacancies
• little respect for lab employees and their work
• compensation lower than other lab employees represented by OPSEU/NUPGE

OPSEU/NUPGE has long history of advocating for hospital professionals

Sara Labelle, Chair of the Hospital Professionals Division, says that these medical laboratory professionals have made a wise choice, citing OPSEU/NUPGE's 46-year history of representation and advocacy on behalf of hospital professionals. “We will serve our newest members from the Hospital for Sick Children well as we continue to move forward together in these uncertain times in health care,” said Labelle.

Warren (Smokey) Thomas, OPSEU President, expressed his pleasure at the results of the vote. “This is fantastic news for these hardworking employees. They’ve given themselves a strong, united voice. They join 130,000 other OPSEU/NUPGE members who have said yes to more fairness, yes to a say in the workplace, yes to better working conditions, and yes to just compensation.”

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 360,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE