Natasha Vaughn is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media contract negotiations with the employees of Livingston Hills Nursing and Rehabilitation Center are nearing an impasse after more than a year of talks. A union spokesperson said November 27, that disagreements over employee health insurance has some workers thinking about leaving Livingston Hills altogether. “When I first got hired they told me the rate of pay and I pretty much laughed, and then they explained to me what the benefits were. And that’s what keeping me there, not the pay, the benefits,” said AnnMarie Fran, a housekeeper at Livingston Hills. Workers at the facility have been without a contract for more than year, said Mindy Berman, regional communications director for Local 1199 Service Employees International Union, United Healthcare Workers East, the union that represents 74 Livingston Hills employees. Two new health care plans have been proposed, Berman said. The less costly of the two would be through CDPHP and cost individuals $400 a month plus additional co-pays. Employees currently have employer-paid premiums and little to no out-of-pocket costs, she said. The typical Livingston Hills housekeeping employee earns around $12 an hour. The union is disputing the new contract management is trying to put in place. Livingston Hills owner Jeffrey Vegh declined to comment on contract negotiations, referring questions to his attorney. Local 1199 SEIU will hold a candlelight vigil to protest the lack of a new contract Dec. 1 at Livingston Hills on Route 9 in Livingston. Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.