C.E.O. says K.H.M.H. Staff Not Pensionable
Michelle Cox-Hoare
Chief Executive Officer for the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority, Michelle Cox-Hoare, stuck to her position today, reiterating that the staff at the hospital is not pensionable. The recently formed K.H.M.H. Workers Union has begun a battle to have members declared as pensionable under the K.H.M.H.A. and Pension Act. The hospital authority says that are reviewing several legal opinions, its position is that the staff is not pensionable. The Union, however, is seeking its own legal opinion and President Lydia Blake has indicated that moves will be made to have the courts settle the ongoing dispute. Tensions among the parties rose due to what the union says, is a lack of communication, leading union members to walk out in protest in July. According to Hoare, the staff falls under an authority and as such they are not pensionable.
Michelle Cox-Hoare, C.E.O., K.H.M.H.A.
“Our staff are not pensionable because we are not public officers. We fall under an authority.”
Hipolito Novelo
“K.H.M.H. Workers Union is seeking legal advice and they will be taking it to court.”
Michelle Cox-Hoare
“They have every right to do that and so we will await for the response of the legal opinion.”
Hipolito Novelo
“So the K.H.M.H.A.’s stance is that they are not pensionable…”
Michelle Cox-Hoare
“We are not pensionable because we are an organization that falls under an authority, alright? And so, we are not and that was already declared.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Would you refute what the President said that in a meeting earlier this year that you told the staff that they were pensionable?”
Michelle Cox-Hoare
“Yes I did because that was an opinion that we got and it was the response from the board that yes at the time we thought that we were. It was corrected based on other opinions that we saw.”
Hipolito Novelo
“So no more meetings with union reps?”
Michelle Cox-Hoare
“Yes, we have had several meetings all along. We have engaged the union. We have kept them updated every step of the way. The union is aware of the status of the board and the organization on a whole.”
