SEIU Healthcare helps lead rally of 15,000 in Springfield

Thousands of seniors, people with disabilities, children and parents joined SEIU Healthcare Illinois members and our labor, community and social service allies in the Responsible Budget Coalition in Springfield to protest possible budget cuts

Thousands of seniors, people with disabilities, children and parents joined SEIU Healthcare Illinois members and our labor, community and social service allies in the Responsible Budget Coalition in Springfield to protest possible budget cuts that would harm our state's most vulnerable populations.  The event, called the "Save our State" rally, brought 15,000 citizens from across Illinois to Springfield to let lawmakers know they need to stop budget cuts, and pass a responsible budget before they adjourn this session.

“Home care is the one thing that has allowed me to hold on to my independence, my sanity and somewhat of a normal life since being diagnosed with breast cancer and a degenerative disk disease,” explained Janet Mulvaney, a 63-year-old from Springfield who has been receiving care through the state’s home care program for 5 years. “But these cuts threaten to strip me and 50,000 others just like me of our independence and our right to stay in our homes. That’s not right.”

SEIU Healthcare Illinois home care, child care, nursing home, and health systems workers heard community leaders speak about the importance of preserving funding for vital services, like home care, child care, education, and police.  Then 12,000 people took to the streets, marching around the capitol and chanting "Have some guts, stop the cuts!"
Marchers entered and quickly filled the capitol to urge lawmakers to pass a responsible budget.