Medical laboratory staff at SickKids have voted 74 per cent in favour of joining the union.
In a representation vote held on August 18, 2015, over 230 laboratory technologists, technicians and assistants, phlebotomists, test development technologists, resource technologists and senior resource technologists voted for OPSEU 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
Sara Labelle, Chair of the Hospital Professionals Division, says that these medical laboratory professionals have made a wise choice, citing OPSEU'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, President of OPSEU, 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 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.”