Employees represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) at the Highlands ARH Regional Medical Center in Prestonsburg voted Friday to ratify a new three-year collective bargaining agreement.
ARH System Director of Human Resources Austin Maggard said employees ratified the agreement, which was tentatively agreed upon by ARH and the SEIU on Thursday, after the parties worked for since May to reach a negotiated agreement.
The contract covers approximately 220 of Highlands 616 employees are represented by the SEIU at Highlands ARH. These employees work in a variety of areas and occupations, including clerical, housekeeping, maintenance, dietary, licensed practical nurses, certified nurse aids, and some technical employees. Employees at ARH’s other locations across eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia are not represented by the SEIU union.
The collective bargaining agreement becomes effective July 19, 2020 and will run through July 19, 2023
“We are extremely pleased that our employees represented by the SEIU have ratified this collective bargaining agreement,” Maggard said. “It was our goal to present a contract offering fair, competitive and sustainable wages and benefits. This contract will continue to make our employees at Highlands ARH some of the best compensated workers in our region, while also keeping ARH viable and sustainable in a time of much uncertainty brought on by the world-wide COVID-19 pandemic and a downturn in our state and local economies. We feel this is a very good agreement that is evenly balanced for both the employees represented by the SEIU and for ARH.”