Dynacare lab workers set a strike deadline of Sep. 8
Posted August 25, 2026 5:55 pm.
Last Updated August 25, 2026 5:53 pm.
For thousands of Manitobans, getting blood work means a trip to a Dynacare lab.
But come Sept. 8, the doors could be closed, with hundreds of workers now officially setting a strike deadline, potentially leaving Manitoba’s public-health system to handle thousands of patients who normally rely on Dynacare.
“Hearing that they might be going on a potential strike, it’s like, oh man, that’s not good at all,” said Dumeje Egoegonwa, a Dynacare patient.
Since moving to Winnipeg, Egoegonwa has come to rely on Dynacare for his blood work. He was heading inside Tuesday for another test, one that will help determine the dosage of medication he needs.
“If the blood gets stalled, then basically I don’t get my medication because my medication isn’t the type you can just be like, ‘oh yeah, just take half a pill, and you should be good to go.’ No, they need to actually check the blood to be like, ‘OK, he needs a heavier dosage, or he needs a lighter one,’” he explained.
Starting Sept. 8, getting that same test done could look very different as the union representing roughly 350 Dynacare workers has now set a strike deadline.
“All options are on the table, up to including a full strike. And if that happens, Dynacare collection sites close, and so does the main processing lab on King Edward Street,” said Jason Linklater, the president of the Manitoba Association of Health Care Professionals (MAHCP).
Shared Health says it’s assessing how a potential strike could impact public lab testing and is working on measures to reduce the risks of a disruption for patients used to getting their testing done close to home.
That possibility brings a level of uncertainty.
“I know how much it is to get from there to here with the lift. But if I had to go to like a hospital, say downtown Winnipeg, it’s like, OK, now I have to get a hospital registration and who knows what’s going to be the cost of all of that. It’s just too unpredictable,” said Egoegonwa.
The union says members perform more than 15 million lab tests every year, while earning between 20 and 50 per cent less than workers doing comparable jobs in the public system.
“Nobody wants to strike. Dynacare doesn’t want to strike, and neither do we. And that is why we gave two-and-a-half weeks’ notice,” said Linklater.
Dynacare said in a statement it remains in discussions with the union and is working to ensure continuity of care for the 1.2 million Manitoba patients it serves each year, while the province says they are in contact with health-system partners to understand any potential impacts and ensure appropriate plans are in place.
