KHMH Workers Inch Closer to Long-Awaited CBA

After three and a half years of stalled negotiations, KHMH workers may finally be closer to securing the agreement they have been waiting for. Talks over the hospital’s Collective Bargaining Agreement were expected to last just six months, but years of delays have kept better working conditions, new allowances and a salary increase out of reach. Now, two new faces are leading the negotiations, and the union says the mood at the table has changed. Its new president describes management as receptive and says both sides are working to move the agreement across the finish line. But after years of promises and little progress, can they finally deliver a CBA for KHMH workers?

 

Roy Briceño, President, KHMHAWU

“Since October that I have took office as the president for the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Workers’ Union myself and my executive, along with our legal team, has been meeting and combing the CBA over and see what needed to be placed in it since it was already placed by the previous president toward the management team. Right now we have met with management and sat over in making agreements and adjustment to what is the framework to set the presidency of how we will go along with, in terms of addressing the table discussion about the CBA. But I must say, management have been very receptive, very positive about it. Us union have been very optimistic, working hard and making sure that everything is in there when it comes in respect for the betterment for our workers here at KHMH.”

 

Shane Williams

“What are you all looking for in terms of salary adjustment and pension?”

 

Roy Briceño

“We’re looking at some allowances in terms of hazardous allowances, knowing the institution that we work and the nature of work that we do. It’s so definite hazardous allowance. We’re looking about traveling allowance. We’re looking into better working conditions, better schedules and a definite increase in our salary for the hard work that we do here at the hospital.”

 

In its thirty-one-year history, the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital has never had a collective bargaining agreement. The staff has only been formally unionized for seven years.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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