Lab techs support colleagues in protest

Sir Thomas Roddick lab technologists took to the streets last week to show support for their colleagues in Grand Falls-Windsor, and to draw attention to what they say is a chronic shortage of lab technologists in the province.

"Grand Falls especially is in dire, dire straits," says Vanessa Alexander, spokesperson for the Stephenville group. Ms. Alexander explains the way they see it, there aren't enough graduates coming out of laboratory tech programs each year. And she says the provincial government isn't doing enough to retain the graduates they do have.

"Alberta, BC, Ontario, Halifax, you know, they're all coming down recruiting the new grads, offering them moving expenses, bursaries, full-time permanent work with schedules and benefits and such," she says.

Ms. Alexander says she feels the provincial government isn't offering much to new graduates.

"Casual, call-in, and you know, why would you take that if you're a new grad and you have a student loan to pay off, you're going to go where the work is to."

"We had a group of workers in central that were very concerned about the lack of staffing in the laboratory area of the hospital, so they had a demonstration to bring their concerns to the attention of the powers that be," says NAPE president Carol Furlong.

"They work in the laboratory doing the tests physicians need in order to diagnose their patients, and they're very concerned they're working excessive amounts of time and hours," she says.

"They're very afraid that they will be so overtired working that there is a potential for some human error, and that is a real concern of theirs."

Ms. Furlong explains that they understand the employer has been trying to fill the open positions, but isn't having any luck.

"They have posted them and invited applicants to them," she says. "They have recently filled two positions, two of whom have come from other facilities, one from Port Saunders, one from Happy Valley Goose Bay, so what we believe now is the end result of that is those sites will be short as a result."

Ms. Alexander says, in her opinion, Stephenville isn't doing too badly for staff at the moment.

"We're not too bad right here. We've got probably ten years before we have mega retirement but most centres across the island are facing that within the next five years," she says.

Ms. Furlong says she thinks the protest went well in drawing attention to the issue.

"I think it sent a message, a very loud message," she says.

"The casualization of employees in the health care sector is no longer workable."