Healthcare workers from across Chicago rallied over wages on April 19.
More than 100 workers and their supporters participated in the rally, which took place at Loretto Hospital in the city, according to a news release from the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Illinois/Indiana. Union officials said the goal was to urge the Illinois Health and Hospital Association to increase pay for frontline employees.
"Many hospital workers make just above the minimum wage, despite the fact that these hospitals are pillars and economic drivers in their communities," they said. "Women of color occupy a large number of the jobs at hospitals in black and brown neighborhoods, which also exacerbates the level of poverty in households in these communities."
In response to the rally, the IHA said the organization "greatly" values hospital employees
"The Illinois Health and Hospital Association and hospitals and health systems across Chicago and the state greatly value the more than 260,000 hospital employees who care for patients every day," the group said in a statement to Becker's Hospital Review. "Recognizing that their employees are vital to the delivery of quality healthcare for all Illinoisans, hospitals provide competitive wages and substantial benefits to their employees."
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