Registered nurses at nine Appalachian Regional Healthcare facilities across Kentucky and West Virginia have ratified a three-year contract extension.
The contract covers more than 700 nurses at the facilities, according to a Feb. 10 National Nurses Organizing Committee news release. The agreement runs from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2029.
The union said highlights of the deal include wellness days that allow members to take days off without penalty. It also includes wage increases for all nurses, including step increases and cost-of-living adjustments each year of the contract, with an average increase of nearly 10% over three years, as well as holiday pay for nurses regardless of shift. Additionally, it preserves layoff and seniority protections and includes no concessions.
“It’s good that nurses now have two wellness days,” Lisa Salyer, medical-surgical RN at Morgan County ARH Hospital in West Liberty, Ky., said in the release. “That’s something we have wanted for some time to allow us time to take care of ourselves so we can be the best for our patients.”
In a statement shared with Becker’s, Austin Maggard, vice president of human resources for Hazard, Ky.-based Appalachian Regional Healthcare, said the agreement “reflects our commitment to offering a comprehensive wage and benefits package that helps make our care teams among the best paid in the region and the strong, collaborative relationship we have with our union partners.”
Mr. Maggard said the contract also reinforces ARH’s focus on employee wellness through the addition of two personal wellness days each year to help prevent burnout and support nurses’ physical, mental and emotional well-being.
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