A recent arbitration decision for members of SEIU District 1199 will reopen full- and part-time positions for 49 employees of Weirton Medical Center who were unjustly laid off or downgraded last year.

"This is like a ray of sunshine - it's finally the good news we were waiting for," said Betty Goettge, who had lost her health coverage when she was cut to an on-call position.  Goettge is relieved to again qualify for affordable health care once the hospital reconstitutes her full-time status.  "We wouldn't be getting our jobs and benefits back if we didn't have this Union."

WMC had laid off and cut the hours of Union members instead of following their contract, which required first reducing all part-time and "extra help" hours.  The arbitrator directed WMC to return the laid-off, part-time and "extra help" staff to their previous positions with their original hours.

The basic principle in the collective bargaining agreement that was upheld by the arbitrator is that full-time and other regular employees cannot lose their hours and benefits unless part-time positions with fewer hours are reduced first.  Instead of following this provision, WMC created an "extra help" position in which many former full-timers no longer qualified for their benefits despite picking up nearly as many hours as they'd worked when they were full-time.

Congratulations to the members at WMC for sticking together and successfully asserting their rights!