Associated Press
HUNTINGTON
July 18, 2008 11:22 am
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Crowded conditions and low morale at one of two state-run psychiatric hospitals has prompted workers to make their frustrations public.
Members of the West Virginia Public Workers Union plan a rally outside Mildred Mitchell-Bateman Hospital in Huntington on Friday.
The hospital workers say they’re often required to work back-to-back eight-hour shifts. They also say temporary workers hired by the hospital cause more problems than they solve.
A report issued this month by state Office of the Ombudsman for Behavioral Health said the hospital is routinely overcrowded. The report also said low morale among both workers and patients causes tension in the facility.
Union members want a pay raise, which they say will attract more employees.
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