October 7, 2025 | The Stand
After concerns over short-staffing and bargaining delays led workers to authorize a strike, the caregivers at Evergreen Supported Living (ESL) have reached a tentative agreement on a first contract. The workers’ union, SEIU Local 775, shared that Evergreen management “agreed to the workers’ latest set of proposals, and both sides expressed excitement about moving forward in a collaborative manner with a continued and renewed focus on high-quality client care.” Caregivers will vote on the contract proposal as early as this week.
The workers organized to join SEIU 775 in June of 2024. If ratified, their first contract would make Evergreen one of highest-paying supported living agencies in the state. Beyond industry standard-setting wages, the tentative agreement guarantees improved training, outlines a fair process for discipline and grievances, and includes a mechanism for collaborating on staffing levels through a labor management committee.
“If approved, this contract would provide us a significant wage increase, it would block any attempt to rollback our benefits, and most importantly it would give care providers a real say in staffing,” said Trent Mulder, a six-year caregiver at ESL. “SEIU 775 gives caregivers a voice and the power to make positive change for ourselves and the people we care for. If this contract agreement is approved, we will have won important victories that will improve our jobs and the care we provide to our clients.”
In September, caregivers announced publicly that they had authorized a strike at Evergreen, concerned that the employer wasn’t hearing the wage and staffing issues they were raising at the table. The Bellingham City Council also sent a letter to ESL management urging the employer to settle a fair contract. While some employers might dig in their feet in the face of public pressure, that escalation from the workers ultimately led to more constructive negotiations, per SEIU 775.