FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 13, 2020
Contact: Chelsea Connor | cconnor@rwdsu.org | 347-866-6259
THE RWDSU AND ATTORNEY GENERAL MORRISEY (WV) ANNOUNCE NEARLY 250K WILL BE PAID TO HOSPITAL WORKERS AT FAIRMONT REGIONAL
(CHARLESTON, WV) — Today, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) and the West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and announced that the unions negotiations, in conjunction with the Attorney General’s continuing investigation, have led to Alecto Healthcare Services stating its intent to pay nearly $250,000 in paid time off to hospital workers of the Fairmont Regional Medical Center.
The nearly $250,000 payment covers lost paid time off for the CNAs and support nurses represented by the RWDSU as well as the hospital’s support staff, cafeteria and maintenance workers also represented by the union. The RWDSU continues to work with the Attorney General to fight for over $750,000 in back health care costs as well as over $10 million dollars in pension benefits owed by Alecto.
“We have had to fight with Alecto and Fairmont Regional for years to maintain Health Care for our members, as well as proper staffing levels and equipment for their patients. Our members have always put patient care first, and now Alecto needs to pay their nearly $11 million in Health Care costs and pension benefits that are owed. This company has damaged this community and our members with their lack of ability to properly operate Fairmont General Hospital. We will continue to fight for our member’s lost benefits and hope to resume conversations with the company around this swiftly,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).
“Alecto and every company operating in West Virginia must follow the law,” Attorney General Morrisey said. “I am pleased our actions have helped lead to the recovery of lost benefits for additional workers at Fairmont Regional. Our aggressive efforts in this matter will continue as the employees of Alecto, no matter if they worked in Fairmont or Wheeling, deserve to have the benefits promised to them.”
Any Fairmont Regional employee with complaints related to wage payment and fringe benefit issues should submit an official request for assistance to the West Virginia Division of Labor. The complaint form can be completed online at https://labor.wv.gov.
The Attorney General also announced last week that his investigation into Fairmont Regional’s sudden closure had yielded new information about whether Alecto provided advanced notice of any mass layoff to employees. The Attorney General revealed that concern in a recent letter to the Marion County Commission and Fairmont Mayor Brad Merrifield. Read more about that announcement at https://bit.ly/3bUXAfi.
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The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States. The RWDSU is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). For more information, please visit our website at www.rwdsu.org, Facebook:/RWDSU.UFCW Twitter:@RWDSU.