Editor’s note: a statement from Compass Health CEO Tom Sebastian has been added to this story.

WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Behavioral healthcare workers in Whatcom County are holding informational pickets and rallies in late July and early August.

Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare 1199NW says in a statement that their members working at Compass Health held an informative picket in the afternoon on July 29.

Over 350 employees in Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island and San Juan Counties are calling on Compass Health leadership to finalize a new union contract.

Union members have negotiated for over a year with no agreement reached. Compass administrators refuse to adopt bargain proposals that would retain behavioral health workers with fair wages and affordable health care. The lack of competitive wages has led to high rates of staff turnover.

In response, CEO Tom Sebastian said in a statement:

“At all times, our top priority is to support our clients and their families and ensure access to care. We’re not experiencing any interruptions in service and want to assure clients that we’ll see them at their appointments. We are also focused on finalizing a fair and equitable contract that meets union members’ needs while ensuring our organization can continue to sustainably operate and serve community members. Since October, we’ve repeatedly offered a minimum 6% wage increase for everyone, and up to 22% for the positions that are most difficult to recruit for, including clinicians, care coordinators and nurses. We’re also proposing meaningful market-based wage increases for others, including peer counselors, who make a significant impact on client outcomes. We want to raise staff wages while maintaining strong benefits, and we’ve been trying to do that for months. We’re ready to boost paychecks.”

Their last bargaining session took place on July 25. Another rally will be held in Bellingham the morning of Aug. 3 at Maritime Heritage Park.