Many of us packed the board of commissioners meeting on July 18 and shared stories of the struggles we face every day. We spoke of the difficulty of recruiting staff at below market wages, the skyrocketing cost of living, and the frustration we all feel with Management’s refusal to propose adequate cost of living increases at the bargaining table.

The board seemed receptive to our concerns and shared their own desire for a fair contract that puts real money in our paychecks.

As a result of our statements and show of solidarity, the board made a last-minute decision to honor the sacrifices we and other care providers have made by awarding the frontline staff of Evergreen the annual “EvergreenHealth Community Service Award”.

July 19 we bargained with Evergreen and let Management know why it is important to pay competitive wages. We talked about being constantly short staffed and working with many highly paid travelers who don’t have the same skills and commitment to Evergreen that we have. Management maintains that they don’t want to pay top wages but feel they are being competitive. We bargain again July 25 and 26.

“The minimal response from Management on our wage proposals has left workers feeling more undervalued than ever” —Jennifer Bradshaw, Mammography Tech

“Me and my coworkers are constantly struggling to keep up as we perform more work with less staff, why would a new tech decide to work here when they can be paid more and work less elsewhere?” —Justy Hedrick, CT Tech