Last Thursday, May 21, was a big day for public health as SEIU 1021 members from Alameda Health System and Alameda County joined community members across the state to call for funding for healthcare.

In Sacramento, members from Alameda Health System called on the state assembly to prioritize healthcare and workers. Our state budget needs to put things like healthcare, food assistance, and behavioral health services first over giveaways for profitable corporations that are not paying their fair share.

As Highland Hospital EVS worker and SEIU 1021 Vice President for the East Bay Derrick Boutte said, “It’s important to understand how these Medicaid cuts will impact everyone, especially the Black and brown population. It’s inspiring to see that we’re not in it alone at Alameda Health System. We’re seeing cuts everywhere, but we’re also seeing people rise up and speak out everywhere, all across California. Doctors, other union members, all of us are bringing patient care to the forefront and demanding that our elected officials be accountable to our communities and bring us the healthcare we need.”

Check out photos and video from Sacramento here.

In Oakland, hundreds of healthcare workers and community members held a “die-in” to protest the Big Ugly Bill, HR1, which slashed federal healthcare funding to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. The goal of the die-in was to call local elected officials to action to solve this funding crisis.

Check out video from the die-in here.