Recap: April Membership Huddle for Hospital Workers! RSVP for May Day!

By Maya Diaz

Fellow SEIU Healthcare Health Systems members,

Thank you to everybody who joined our membership meeting over Zoom in April. During our meeting, we covered how we can take action against cuts coming from the Big Ugly Bill and what our legislative fights look like. We also gave updates on bargaining, what’s going on in Indiana, the VA, and finally gave information on  MAY DAY! 

Keep reading for updates and links to everything we covered!

MAY DAY IS MAY 1ST!

On Friday, May 1st, we will be participating in a Workers Over Billionaires Day of Action! We are marching, rallying, training, walking out, and taking action to make demands that include: 

  • Taxing the rich so our families, not billionaires’ fortunes, come first. 
  • Demanding ICE to get out of our communities. We don’t want a private army serving unchecked federal power. 
  • AND expanding democracy, not corporate power. We want to defend free and fair elections. 

To show worker power, we’ll be participating in an economic blackout on May Day. That means boycotting wealthy corporations like Amazon, Walmart, McDonald’s, and Home Depot, who have built fortunes by exploiting workers and denying fair wages.

We won’t be shopping or spending money at all of these large corporations to show them what worker solidarity really looks like! 

Pledge to NOT SHOP on May 1 and participate in our economic blackout! CLICK HERE to sign the petition now!

If you’re in Chicago, you can join hospital workers at TWO different actions. First, join us at 11 A.M. in the Medical District, starting right outside of Jesse Brown VA for a rally and march with fellow healthcare unions and workers. We will then join up for the citywide May Day march at Union Park, which kicks off with a rally at 12 P.M. We’re ready to show up and fight with workers from across our union to put Workers Over Billionaires!

Click here to RSVP for May Day Actions!!

Hospitals are at Risk of Closure: Effects of the Big Ugly Bill

As many of us know, in 2025, Trump and his lackeys signed a budget package into law that will take away affordable health care from MILLIONS of Americans who rely on it. Over the next ten years, $911 billion in spending for Medicaid and CHIP will be cut.

This is devastating for our communities and patients, and it also means that safety net hospitals are at risk of closure. It’s been reported that 446 hospitals are at risk of closing or reducing services. That means huge gaps in patient care and hard-working people losing their jobs. 

We need to stand strong and united for all of our safety net hospitals, Ingalls Memorial Hospital, Mt. Sinai, Roseland, St. Bernard, and in Indiana, Methodist Hospital. We are fighting back together!

Legislative Updates

We’re pushing several important bills in Springfield to address the challenges hospital workers face every single day. 

Hospital Staffing & Safety Bill: This bill tackles the short staffing crisis by requiring hospitals to limit assignments so CNAs and PCTs care for no more than 7 patients during day shifts and 11 patients during night shifts. It also requires hospitals to submit annual staffing matrices to the Illinois Department of Public Health, and more!

Revenue Policies: We are backing a set of bills that could generate billions of dollars for healthcare, social services, and community programs by making the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share. That money could help Illinois protect Medicaid, support safety-net hospitals, and expand healthcare access!

HEAL Bill: Our HEAL bill creates stable funding for safety-net hospitals and protects patient access to care. It’s sponsored by some of our legislative champions, Senator Lakesia Collins and Rep. Lilian Jiménez!

JOIN US FOR LOBBY DAY

Our next lobby day is April 29th and we have a subject matter hearing on April 28th on the HEAL Bill in the Senate. Register for lobby day now to win better wages, safe staffing, and quality, equitable healthcare for the communities we serve together!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR LOBBY DAY!!!

Bargaining Updates

Northwestern Bargaining Update: 

  • Victory! We united to ratify a new contract, including $9 across-the-board raises over the next 5 years and increased protection for worker safety! We could not have been able to win these without organized action from every Northwestern worker in our union. Our solidarity and hard work paid off! 

Ingalls Bargaining Update:

  • Ingalls hospital workers are standing strong and not backing down until we get a fair contract. Recently, Ingalls management tried to divide us by stalling on wage increases for CNAs and Lab staff, but we aren’t falling for it. 
  • Teamsters 743 members are also fighting for their contract, and Ingalls leadership is stalling with them just like they are with us. We’re standing united inside and outside our hospital walls to build up cross-union solidarity and movement. Let’s keep building momentum to win the contract we need and deserve!

Safety Net Bargaining Update:

  • We are holding bargaining elections for our safety net hospitals! If you haven’t already, fill out our bargaining survey to make sure your voice is heard at the table and to nominate yourself or a coworker to represent us at the bargaining table. 
  • Click here to fill out the bargaining survey!!!

Indiana Updates! May 5th: Primary Election Day in Indiana!

Indiana Primary Election

  • May 5th is PRIMARY ELECTION DAY in Indiana! We need everyone to get out and vote. We’ve seen what politicians are capable of doing and we need to make sure our voices are heard. 
  • You can also VOTE EARLY! Election day is May 5th, but if you have time, stop by your polling place to vote early. CLICK HERE to find your polling place! 

Additional Updates!

  • NIPSCO: NIPSCO, an electric and gas utility company in Indiana, is monopolizing utility rates and making monthly bills unaffordable for working people. At the beginning of April, they decided to lock out 1,600 of their workers from their facilities because they couldn’t come to an agreement with their union. This is wrong and unjust! We’re not staying silent and protesting NIPSCO lining its pockets while families struggle to make ends meet!
  • SB1: SB1, a Republican led bill, makes it harder for folks to be eligible for Medicaid and food assistance programs. This means serious costs for healthcare workers, patients, and hard-working people in Indiana. We need to stand strong as a union to make it clear that this does not benefit working people, and we DO NOT support it!

AFGE Court Victory!

 In March, a federal judge ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs to restore its collective bargaining agreement with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). This gave back protection to more than 320,000 VA employees!

This ruling is a huge step in the right direction! We are so happy for our fellow AFGE VA members and will continue to fight to restore collective bargaining rights for EVERY VA employee. Let’s use this as a reminder to stay united and advocate for one another. 

Let’s continue to mobilize and make it clear we are serious about our demands! I hope to see all of you soon at May Day!

In solidarity,

Anne Igoe, Vice President and Director for Health Systems

As always, email me with any questions: Anne.Igoe@seiuhcil.org.