On Monday, March 3rd, nearly 500 Labcorp laboratory professionals represented by the Oregon Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (OFNHP, AFT Local 5017, AFL-CIO) reached and signed a Tentative Agreement (TA) on their first union contract after more than a year of negotiations. The workers perform a range of skilled laboratory roles across multiple sites and have been bargaining to secure stronger wages, job protections, and standards that support quality patient care.
"This contract is more than just a victory for workers seeking their voices to be respected by their employer,” said Allister Brister-Smith, a bargaining team leader and Labcorp worker. “This contract ensures a solid foundation for stable staffing and safety that will help us to raise standards of care for our community.”
Labcorp has increasingly acquired laboratories from non-profit health systems and incorporated them into its for-profit model, and was known for anti-union positions. As these transitions have taken place, workers have organized to ensure that high standards of care, fair compensation, and workplace stability are protected. This TA represents a major step forward in safeguarding both laboratory professionals and a future of patient care based on accurate and timely testing.
The agreement includes a 9% average wage increase (7-15% for workers depending on class and experience) with some workers seeing wage raises as high as 30%. This contract includes a predictable wage scale with yearly step increases, an $800 ratification bonus for all staff, critical shift incentives, “Safe and Quality Care” language, and expanded PTO eligibility. It also establishes Just Cause protections, a binding grievance procedure, guardrails around outsourcing bargaining unit work, and formal joint labor-management meetings.
This week and next, members are reviewing the Tentative Agreement at worksite and virtual meetings, where they will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the contract’s provisions. Ratification voting is scheduled to begin on Monday and last for a week.