Cars drive past a sign noting the entrance to The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Chris Jackson | West Virginia Watch)
After much uncertainty, employees at The Greenbrier Hotel will not see a lapse in their health insurance coverage, according to a statement released by The Greenbrier on Thursday.
The health insurance coverage for hundreds of the resort’s employees was initially set to end on Tuesday . When the public auction for The Greenbrier Hotel — which is owned by Gov. Jim Justice , who is running a Republican campaign for Senate — was averted last week, however, the end date was extended to Saturday .
The termination of coverage was first reported last week when employees at the hotel received letters from attorneys representing the Amalgamated National Health Fund stating that the Greenbrier Hotel Corporation was four months delinquent in contributions to the health fund. The company owed about $2.4 million in delinquent contributions, with another $1.2 million soon to be due, according to the letter. The corporation, the letter continued, was collecting money from employees’ paychecks for coverage without remitting it to the health fund.
In Thursday’s statement — which was first reported by MetroNews — representatives for The Greenbrier denied that there were ever any delinquent payments or that contributions were not being made.
“The employee contributions that were withheld from employees’ paychecks were always timely remitted to the Health Fund, and not a single time was a penny of those contributions used for any purpose other than funding the healthcare coverage of The Greenbrier employees,” the statement from the resort reads.
Representatives for The Greenbrier did not respond to requests for comment on Thursday.
Ronald Richman, an attorney with Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP representing the Amalgamated National Health Fund, confirmed to West Virginia Watch in an email Monday that The Greenbrier Hotel Corporation was still four months delinquent on its contributions to the fund.
Richman could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Justice, during a press briefing last week, also denied that there had been any lapses in payment to the health fund.
“And I’ll promise you to the good Lord above that insurance payments have been made and were being made on a regular basis just like we’ve done in the past in many ways,” Justice said.
On Thursday, in response to a question from MetroNews’ Brad McElhinny — who was granted access to this week’s briefing following weeks of being denied — Justice reiterated that denial.
He said assertions that money was taken from employees and not put into the health fund were “so false it’s off the charts.”
“The worst [part] of the whole thing from my standpoint, Brad, it’s not taking the crap on my side,” Justice said. “The problem is just this, it’s the worries of the employees. These are good people …”
Peter Bostic, the chairman of the Greenbrier Council of Labor Unions, said in an emailed statement Thursday that the unions were “pleased and relieved” that a “settlement agreement” was reached between the health care fund and The Greenbrier. No details for that settlement have been shared publicly.
“We are hopeful that The Greenbrier will honor all commitments and contractual obligations moving forward so that our Members are not forced to endure any uncertainties in the future,” Bostic wrote. “Our Members’ hard work and dedication is what truly makes The Greenbrier the destination that it is renowned for.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comments from Gov. Jim Justice’s weekly administration briefing.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Most Popular
Comments / 0