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The latest on the Key Bridge collapse, New York puts forth legislation to get clean energy projects on the grid and Wisconsin and other states join a federal summer food program to help feed kids across the country.

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Republicans float conspiracy theories on the collapse of Baltimore's Key Bridge, South Carolina's congressional elections will use a map ruled unconstitutional, and the Senate schedules an impeachment trial for Homeland Secretary Mayorkas.

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Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Illinois’ Largest Union Makes its Debut

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Tuesday, April 15, 2008   

Chicago, IL - The biggest union in Illinois is being established today, as residents working at hospitals, long-term care facilities and child care centers are banding together in a merger to form SEIU Healthcare Illinois. The new union boasts 90,000 members, and is getting right to work tackling what they see as a broken health care system that leaves patients behind while health care companies post record profits.

Keith Kelleher, president-designate for SEIU Healthcare Illinois, says one top concern is recent research calling into question the not-for-profit tax status of some of the state's largest hospitals.

"Many of these so-called nonprofits are sitting on huge stashes of money while failing to expand the services available for people who are uninsured, which is supposed to be what they're doing."

Hospitals say one reason they keep cash reserves is to help pay for capital improvements in the future, but Kelleher believes it's unacceptable that the ranks of the uninsured keep growing in Illinois.

"That's a big problem that our folks feel day after day when they have to deny people services. Many hospitals aren't even providing health care coverage to their employees."

SEIU Healthcare Illinois will include members from Indiana. More information about S.E.I.U. Healthcare Illinois is available online at www.seiuhealthcare.org.


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