Greenbrier employee health benefits extended for another week

The Greenbrier Hotel Corporation now has until the end of the month to pay delinquent health insurance payments before its employees lose benefits. (Getty Images)

The Greenbrier Council of Labor Unions announced in a news release Friday afternoon that health benefits will be extended to the Greenbrier’s employees through Aug. 31.

Earlier this week Greenbrier employees received a letter from an attorney representing the Amalgamated National Health Fund, who wrote that The Greenbrier Hotel Corporation is four months delinquent in contributions to the Health Fund. The company owes about $2.4 million in delinquent contributions, with another $1.2 million soon to be due.

The Greenbrier’s delinquent contributions include contributions that were taken out of employees’ pay but not remitted to the Health Fund, the attorney wrote. If payments were not made, health coverage was scheduled to be suspended by the company on Aug. 27 — the same day The Greenbrier Hotel was supposed to be auctioned off.

However, on Thursday the auction was halted , giving The Greenbrier Hotel Corporation until Oct. 24 to make a payment to Beltway Capital. Because the hotel is no longer being sold on Tuesday, the Health Fund will continue to provide coverage to employees through Aug. 31.

During Thursday’s administration briefing, Gov. Jim Justice — who owns The Greenbrier but says he’s not involved in the day-to-day operations because his children run the business — said, “Insurance payments have been made and were being made on a regular basis just like we’ve done in the past in many ways.”

The Greenbrier Council of Labor Unions’ news release said the delinquencies are “factual, tangible and documented.”

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