SEIU Healthcare Illinois Issues Statement: This Primary Election Is a Defining Win for Working Families

CHICAGO, March 19, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana (HCII) said that working families won important and impressive victories in this primary election and applauded the work of its members and volunteers who turned out the vote today. 

HCII's grassroots operation, along with its community partners, resulted in an overwhelming majority of the 103 Chicago precincts approving the non-binding referendum to require major corporations that make over $50 million per year to pay workers a minimum wage of at least $15 an hour. 

Community activists and coalition partners said tonight's results will help change the conversation about income inequality in Chicago and Illinois and fuel the growing movement to lift wages for working families.

HCII also played an instrumental role in two contested state representative races. In the 39^th district, the union helped carry Will Guzzardi to victory, as he amplified the concerns of working families. We also helped to raise the profile of progressive candidate Nancy Schiavone in the 40^th district, who shook up the race and forced the incumbent State Rep. Jaime Andrade to be more responsive to constituents' concerns about growing income inequality.

In response to tonight's election results, April Verrett, Executive Vice-President of SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana, issued the following statement:

"Tonight was a great victory on behalf of low-wage workers and our families.  Our neighbors and communities sent a clear and definitive message that major corporations should be held accountable and be required to pay Chicago's workers a $15 minimum wage. 

"We take pride that this election helped to build our movement and brought people together who felt like they didn't have a voice – and now they do. Our community and coalition partners are stronger and more engaged than ever before. 

"Our elected officials and political candidates are finally realizing that working families will hold them accountable and that our collective future depends on creating opportunity for everyone and the urgent need to broaden prosperity in Chicago and throughout Illinois. 

"If there was one clear take away from this election, it's that we must build an economy that works for everyone, not just for the wealthy few and large corporations. 

"The contrast between the competing visions for Illinois' future between right-wing billionaires like Bruce Rauner and low-wage homecare workers, nursing home attendants, hospital workers, and child care providers has never been starker.

"Bruce Rauner brags about being in the top 1 percent of the 1 percent of Americans, owns nine luxury homes which are worth millions of dollars each, and made $53 million last year alone – yet Rauner wants to cut the minimum wage from $8.25 back to $7.25 an hour for hard-working Illinoisans who are struggling just to survive. 

"Bruce Rauner handed over $6 million of his own money to his campaign and raised another $6 million from his rich donors while minimum wage workers and families volunteered their time to mobilize our communities over the last two months in the most brutal winter in decades just to give Chicago's low-wage workers a raise.

"Our SEIU Healthcare Illinois Indiana members are caregivers.  Peoples' lives depend on the vital care we provide. 

"Yet, too many of our members struggle to survive on low wages.  We see firsthand the erosion of our communities due to failing schools and a lack of jobs.  Too many of our brothers and sisters live in unsafe neighborhoods with scores of foreclosed homes and whole communities in decline from a lack of investment. 

"That's why we fundamentally believe that now is the time for new and independent leadership on all levels of government.  We will continue to support candidates whom we believe will strengthen, champion and empower our communities. 

"Tonight's election proved that when working families stand up and fight for what we believe in, we can and will fundamentally change the conversation and lift up progressive candidates and issues that we care about."

SEIU Healthcare Illinois & Indiana unites more than 92,000 healthcare, home care, nursing home and child care workers across two states in the fight to raise standards across industries, to strengthen the political voice for working families and for access to quality, affordable care for all families. Visit www.seiuhcilin.org for more information.

Visit

www.seiuhcilin.org

Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/SEIUHCII

Follow us on Twitter: @seiuhcilin

SOURCE SEIU Healthcare Illinois and Indiana