BURNABY – The BC General Employees Union says dairy milk testers in the province have started job action.
The union says it represents dairy production technicians employed by Lactanet, and they began a strike on Tuesday following 20 months of contract talks.
The workers collect samples of dairy milk produced by about 175 herds across B.C. for testing at the Lactanet lab in Chilliwack, B.C., and the union says they’re seeking increases to mileage compensation.
It says the farms are sometimes up to 100 kilometres away but the testers are currently paid 41 cents per kilometre for using their personal vehicles, lower than the 72 cents per kilometre the Canada Revenue Agency provides as a guideline for tax purposes.
Lactanet did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The union says the strike means farmers will not receive the data needed to prove the quality of their milk to the BC Milk Board, which determines how much the milk is worth and how much revenue the farmers receive.
“Dairy farmers need these tests, and their milk testers. The B.C. dairy industry deserves a sustainable testing service, and that means accounting for the actual costs of business. Balancing finances on the backs of workers is not a way to help the dairy industry thrive,” BCGEU treasurer Maria Middlemiss said in a news release Friday.
Lactanet testers voted 89 per cent in favour of strike action on Nov. 18 and have been working without a contract since the end of September 2023, the union said.
“This work stoppage was a tough decision for us because we’re passionate about the dairy industry and we’re dedicated to the farmers,” Jack van Dongen, milk tester, former dairy farmer and chair of the workers’ bargaining committee, said in the union’s news release.
“Many of us milk testers work second jobs to make ends meet. We’re not trying to get rich doing this job, but it’s not reasonable or sustainable for us to pay out-of-pocket for travel expenses, especially since that’s not the industry norm.”
The milk testers are calling on Lactanet to return to the bargaining table with an offer that covers their costs, the union said in its statement.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2025.
