RE: SAVE VITAL SERVICES IN OUR COMMUNITY

Dear __________,

We are writing to you because we know you care about vital community mental health and chemical dependency services. Today, those services are at risk, and we urge you to take steps to save them.

We are the 200+ dedicated professionals at Behavioral Health Resources. We work in Thurston, Mason and Grays Harbor Counties. Every day, we provide outpatient and inpatient services to people in our communities suffering from mental illness and chemical dependency. We are nurses, counselors, social workers, therapists, case managers, and aides. We are committed to serving our clients with compassion and fairness.

Unfortunately, the management of Behavioral Health Resources has initiated a fight to get rid of our union in the workplace. This effort by management threatens quality services in our communities.

Earlier this year the state Legislature approved new funding to raise the wages of community mental health workers. The Legislature's goal was to lower staff turnover at community agencies and thereby improve client services.

Rather than simply do as the law required, BHR management has instead launched a campaign aimed at getting rid of our union. In our contract negotiations, BHR management has demanded that staff:

• give up the right to file grievances;
• give up the right to effectively advocate for our clients;
• possibly forfeit the right even to have a union contract in the future.

These management demands will not improve client services. They will undermine our ability to do our jobs properly and effectively.

Behind management's efforts is the Jackson-Lewis law firm that the agency hired, at a rate we believe to be in the vicinity of $400/hour. Jackson-Lewis is a national law firm that prides itself on fighting unions. You can read a recent magazine article about Jackson-Lewis at: http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/3326/unionbusting_confidential/ . With Jackson-Lewis representing BHR management in bargaining, we have made no progress.

Therefore, after months of trying to convince management to change course, our members voted overwhelming to go on strike Oct. 11 if BHR management fails to negotiate a fair contract.

For dedicated health care professionals, a strike is a last resort. But at this point it's our only option left.

A strike doesn't have to happen. BHR management can settle a fair contract with us – just as other mental health agencies around the state have already done. But time is short.

Please contact BHR's chief executive officers and the BHR Board of Directors. Tell them to quit trying to break our union, and to negotiate a fair contract with us that respects our work and the value of quality community services.

John Masterson, CEO

Behavioral Health Resources

360-236-7110

jmasterson@bhr.org

Bob Hill, President-Elect, Board of Directors

Behavioral Health Resources

(360) 357-5700

We appreciate your efforts on behalf of fairness for staff at BHR, and for continued quality services in the community.