Last Tuesday, May 13, SEIU 1021 members at two hospitals took part in a nationwide day of action to tell Republicans in Congress that we won’t accept $880 million in cuts to Medicaid (Medi-Cal in California) so the richest one percent can get big tax cuts. Last month, eight of the nine Republican Congressmembers from California voted for this cruel bill, and SEIU members across California spoke up in opposition.

At Oakland’s Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus, more than 700 members showed up and heard from President Theresa Rutherford, Oakland Mayor-Elect Barbara Lee, state Attorney General Rob Bonta, and a host of Alameda Health System workers, including East Bay VP Derrick Boutte, RN Industry Chair John Pearson, Alameda Health System Chapter President Veronica Palacios, and Ben Fisher.

Tawanda Gilbert, a mental health care specialist with Alameda Health system, told NBC, “The potential impacts will be that we will have layoffs, we will have cuts, we will have potential closures of clinics and services for the community, which are completely underserved anyway.”

As Jessica Orantes, a medical assistant at Highland, told NBC, “Our community is just going to keep getting sicker and sicker. They need the help and we want to help them.”

In the Central Valley, SEIU 1021 members showed up in force to carry the same message at San Joaquin General Hospital. “Cutting Medicaid risks the lives of thousands of San Joaquin residents,” said medical assistant Linda Rebolledo from Healthy Beginnings Clinic. “We’re rallying to protect our community and call on Congress to stand with their constituents.”

On Monday, May 19, a bipartisan group of California Assembly members passed a resolution condemning the federal budget that may be passed as soon as Thursday. Stay tuned for updates and other opportunities to fight for good jobs and a safety net that protects ALL Americans. Keep an eye on fightforourhealth.org for more!