Last Wednesday, SEIU 1021 members from Alameda Health System spoke out across California against management’s cruel, short-sighted, and premature layoffs.

Dozens of SEIU 1021 members showed up to the “Fight For Our Health” rally, and AHS worker Jodi Huang, pictured above, spoke eloquently about the need for California to find a way to fund healthcare for our most vulnerable communities. Huang said, in part, “There is no backup plan for our patients,” highlighting the danger of AHS management’s reckless cuts to the safety net.

Huang said, “We are not providing luxury services at Fairmont. Every Californian, every human, deserves the dignity of therapy to help them live as full a life as they possibly can, regardless of what has happened to them or how much money they make. I’m terrified of what it would mean if we close or if any of our patients lose their coverage.”

Later that day, hundreds of SEIU 1021 members packed the AHS Board of Trustees meeting, again giving powerful testimony alongside doctors, patients, and community members unanimous in their opposition to these layoffs. Members highlighted programs that save lives and made the point again and again that for the low-income Alameda County residents who depend on AHS, there are no alternatives.

On Tuesday the 27th, members will attend the County Board of Supervisors to tell them to stop these layoffs. Click here to RSVP.

Check out our video from the rally here. Read more about the statewide fight for funding to replace the MediCal cuts imposed by HR 1 here and read more about AHS here.