Technical and professional workers have approved their first contract with Cabell Huntington (W.Va.) Hospital executives, according to hospital and union statements.
The three-year contract, approved March 29, covers about 130 employees, including respiratory therapists, MRI and CT techs, medical laboratory techs and radiation therapists. Technical and professional workers voted to join SEIU District 1199 WV/KY/OH in February 2020.
"With the ratification of this contract agreement, we have a greater voice in the area of patient care," Courtney Merritt, a CT tech at Cabell Huntington Hospital, said in a news release. "The contract includes guaranteed wage increases and improved benefits."
In a separate statement, Mike Mullins, president and CEO of Mountain Health Network, also praised the agreement.
He said the hospital is particularly pleased that there was agreement and indications of continued support for workers' paying health insurance premiums, which has been implemented for most Cabell Huntington Hospital employees.
"There seems to be a consensus that the hospital needed to make this change in order to stay aligned with the industry so that we could continue to serve the community going forward," said Mr. Mullins. "We are grateful for the efforts that each negotiating team brought to the discussions, and in the end it is gratifying that what we offered was accepted."