ARH nurses ratify new three-year contracts

RNs at nine hospitals in Appalachia ensure facilities remain open and safely staffed

Staff report

National Nurse magazine - Jan | Feb | March 2026 Issue

Registered nurses at nine Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH) facilities across Kentucky and West Virginia voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying a new three-year contract as of Jan. 23, winning provisions to improve nurse recruitment and retention. National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) represents more than 700 nurses at nine ARH facilities. 

“I am happy we were able to add language that guarantees every union nurse is getting a significant raise and 12 hours of holiday pay,” said Rachel Parks, operating room RN at Hazard ARH Regional Medical Center in Hazard, Ky. “This was a huge victory for our night shift nurses who had this benefit taken away in prior contract fights.”

Highlights of the contract include “wellness days,” which allow nurses to take days off without penalty; preservation of layoff and seniority protections; no takeaways or concessions; and wage increases for all nurses, including step increases and cost-of-living adjustments for each year of the agreement with an average increase of nearly 10 percent over the life of the agreement, and holiday pay for all nurses, regardless of shift. The new pact covers the period May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2029.

“It’s good that nurses now have two wellness days,” said Lisa Salyer, medical-surgical RN at Morgan County ARH Hospital in West Liberty, Ky. “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.”