Caregivers at Evergreen Supported Living are fighting for safe, quality care – and we need your support!
Show your support: Sign the petition!
What Is Evergreen Supported Living?
Evergreen Supported Living workers provide in-home care for adults living with developmental disabilities in Bellingham. Every day we do essential, challenging work that requires compassion, skill, and commitment. But Evergreen management is refusing to provide the training, staffing, and respect we need to do our jobs safely and well.
We’ve joined together in a Union and have been fighting for a fair, first contract for over a year — because quality care starts with valuing caregivers. We need your help to win the pay, benefits, and protections that we need to do our jobs.
“I would like proper staffing to ensure the wellbeing of our clients, as well as progress on their ISP goals. I am tired of giving our clients excuses for short staffing (because management is not able to retain employees). I am scared that the inevitable consequences of short staffing will be blamed on individual Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). I hope caregivers will win a real voice that upper management is forced to listen to. I hope that experienced DSPs will be properly paid. I am invested in a fair fight for a union because I have seen DSPs, whom I look up to for guidance and incredible client care, discouraged to the point of no return.”
Abigail O.
Evergreen Supported Living Direct Support Professional
Did you know?
- 78% of Evergreen workers say they didn’t feel adequately trained when they started working with clients independently. That’s why we are asking for better training, to ensure our clients get the care they deserve.
- Over 71% of Evergreen workers feel that they are not able to access their sick leave. This puts us and our clients at risk.
- Over 85% of Evergreen workers feel that upper-level management does not work proactively to address worksite issues, including those that affect our clients. That’s why we are demanding more say at work.
“Management must strive to maintain its relationship with us, the direct care staff, to build a culture of communication and trust. This has evidently been a low priority for far too long. Our front-line experience and the person-to-person rapport we have with our clients deserve respect. We need channels where we feel safe in voicing our concerns. This needs to be shown and put into action. Please, give us a seat at the table. Give us adequate time to share our expertise with our new co-workers during training. We all want to be a part of making our clients’ lives better.”
Bryce S.
Evergreen Supported Living Direct Support Professional
What are Evergreen Supported Living workers fighting for?
We’re calling on Evergreen Supported Living’s management to agree to a fair contract that includes:
- Providing better training so we can support clients with safety and dignity
- Ensuring quality care through safe and transparent staffing levels
- Creating a labor-management committee to give caregivers a safe place to discuss concerns and find solutions, before they become a problem.
These are basic, common-sense improvements. But for over a year management has refused to meaningfully address them in contract negotiations. Add your name to our petition to demand that Evergreen Supported Living’s management agrees to a fair contract that centers quality care for our clients.
“Top-down decision-making without input and feedback does not make sense in a caring context. Dissent is silenced. Training has shortened, unstaffed shifts are left empty week-after-week, unfair firings occur all too often, Direct Support Professionals advocating for our clients are met with reprimands, and a general atmosphere of disgust for DSPs emanates from the Executive Director.
“Evergreen should be structured with clients in the center surrounded by and supported by DSPs and program managers, who in turn are supported concentrically by upper management.
“I believe Evergreen has the tools and staff available to make it a sustainable organization that provides quality care for the clients. Systemic change is necessary for Evergreen to uphold its mission. We are calling for basic workplace supports: stronger training, staffing, respect, transparency, democratic decision making, and stronger wages and benefits.”
Breanne F.
Evergreen Supported Living Direct Support Professionals