KHMH Workers Seek 20% Raise in Pay

While healthcare workers at other public facilities are set to receive back‑to‑back 4% salary increases, staff at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital say they want their share and more.

The KHMH Workers’ Union has opened negotiations with management, calling for a 20% salary increase as discussions begin on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

Union president Roy Briceño said the priority is restarting talks on the agreement. “What I am focusing, me and my executive, is definitely focusing on… returning back to the table and starting negotiations with the CBA,” he said.

Briceño outlined the union’s demands, including allowances, improved working conditions, and higher pay. “We are looking at 20% raise for our staff here at KHMH. Knowing that we don’t have a pension, the government raised their government workers twice—4% of last year and 4% this year,” he said.

He added that initial talks with the hospital’s new chief executive officer were productive. “We met yesterday, and it was very amicable. We discussed many issues that we have. She agreed that we will return to the table,” he said.

Briceño said staff morale is also a key concern. “Morale is quite low right now at KHMH. That is something both of us as a union and management will work on to eradicate,” he said.