Local 26 Members March for Healthcare!

Hundreds and hundreds of Security Officers, Window Cleaners, Janitors, and other allies gathered at City Hall on Tuesday, December 4th to stand up for access to affordable health care for all working Minnesotans. Welcomed by Mayor R.T. Rybak, the healthcare advocates held a march through the Minneapolis skyways.

“All working families in Minnesota deserve access to affordable family healthcare,” said Rybak. “No parent should have to choose between paying the bills and taking her child to the doctor. It is time for companies operating in this state to make a serious commitment to the health of Minnesota families and provide comprehensive, affordable coverage to all of their employees.”

Personal testimony from working Minnesotans about their struggles with healthcare, including Securitas Security Officer Billie Edmonds, was followed by a procession through the downtown skyways to the offices of some of the Twin Cities’ largest real estate and business owners. Security Officers left piles of flowers as a reminder that these companies have a responsibility to all working families in Minnesota.

“I am a single mother of one and a college student,” said Edmonds. “I cannot afford the $580 per month for family health insurance that my company offers, and I have been rejected twice from MinnesotaCare. It hurts me personally, and it hurts the 70% of us that report having no health insurance for our families. We deserve better, and that is why I am standing up with nearly a thousand Security Officers in the Twin Cities to negotiate a contract that gives our families access to affordable healthcare.”