Open Letter Calls on BC Government to Fully Bring LifeLabs into the Public System
For Immediate Release
April 17, 2025
The letter comes in response to the B.C. government’s recent directive for all public agencies to review contracts with U.S.-based companies.
Victoria, BC — The BC Health Coalition (BCHC), representing over 800,000 members committed to strengthening public health care, has issued an open letter calling on the provincial government to end its contract with U.S.-owned Quest Diagnostics, which now controls LifeLabs—B.C.’s primary provider of outpatient laboratory services.
“We are asking David Eby to follow through on the directive issued last week and review and cancel the contract with Quest Diagnostics,” said Ayendri, Director of Policy and Campaigns with the BC Health Coalition.
The open letter is released just ahead of today’s rally, where BC Health Coalition members and allies will stand in solidarity with striking LifeLabs workers, who have been on the picket lines for eight weeks.
These workers are raising the alarm about what happens when essential health services are driven by profit: chronic understaffing, long delays, and declining care.
“As a senior and as a patient, I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with these striking healthcare workers,” said Barbara Mitchell-Pollock, a member of the BC Health Coalition Steering Committee and the Council of Canadians. “They’re not just defending their rights—they’re standing up for every British Columbian who relies on a strong, public health care system. They’re defending our services, and I thank them.”
A government-commissioned review from the 1990s, known as the Kilshaw Report, found that operating parallel lab systems—one public, one private—leads to inefficiencies, unnecessary bureaucracy, and higher costs. Subsequent research has shown that these issues have only worsened in the decades since.
A fully integrated, public system would reduce wait times, save public money, improve working conditions, and deliver better service.
The Coalition calls on the BC government to:
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Immediately review and terminate contracts with Quest Diagnostics.
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Implement a workforce strategy ensuring wage parity, improved safety, and solutions to chronic short-staffing.
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End the fee-for-service model for private labs.
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Fully reintegrate outpatient lab services into B.C.’s hospital-based public system.
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Read the BC Health Coalition open letter here
Workers and patients in Victoria will gather at the B.C. Legislature on April 16 where media are invited to attend:
WHAT: Striking LifeLabs workers and patients gather at the B.C. Legislature with message to government: Why is an American company sucking millions of public health dollars out of B.C.?
WHEN: Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. PST.
WHO: Striking BCGEU members working at LifeLabs joined by BCGEU union leaders, the BC Health Coalition and other supporters. BCGEU president Paul Finch; Director of Policy and Campaigns from the BC Health Coalition, Ayendri Riddell; and a LifeLabs bargaining committee member will be available for interviews.
WHERE: B.C. Legislature lawn, 501 Belleville St., Victoria, B.C.
VISUALS: LifeLabs workers and patients with colourful union flags and signs.
The BCGEU represents about 1,200 workers at LifeLabs throughout the province who have been on strike since February.
For more information, please contact:
Ayendri Riddell
Director of Policy and Campaigns, BC Health Coalition
Phone: 604-787-6560
Bronwen Barnett
Communications Officer, BCGEU
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About the BCGEU
The BCGEU is one of the largest unions in British Columbia, with over 90,000 members in almost every community and economic sector. www.handsoffourhealthcare.ca
About the BC Health Coalition
The BC Health Coalition is a B.C.-wide non-partisan, non-profit coalition of community members, health care workers, researchers, NGO and community service providers. We base our policy positions on peer-reviewed research and on our mission to strengthen and defend the public health care system.