WEST ORANGE, NJ—Some one hundred members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East joined Senator Bob Menendez on Saturday before knocking on several thousand doors in Essex County to help turnout voters on November 6. Caregivers spoke with the Senator about major issues at stake in this critical race, including the need to protect access to healthcare and win comprehensive immigration reform.

“Senator Menendez helped write the Affordable Care Act which has given millions of people with preexisting medical conditions the ability to get the care they need,” said Sherry McGhie, a certified nursing assistant from Paterson, NJ. “My son was born premature at 26 weeks with cerebral palsy. I cannot imagine ever going back to a system where families could not afford life-saving care for their children. For me, this election is personal.”

“There are one million immigrants across the country who work in nursing homes or as home health aides, and I’m proud to serve my community and my patients,” said Josefina Jimenez, a certified nursing assistant from Passaic. “But every day, I grow more concerned by the rhetoric and policies coming out of the White House. Today more than ever, we need leaders like Senator Menendez who stand up to Trump’s bigotry and are champions for all working families.”

“I am grateful to have the support of 1199SEIU and the passionate and dedicated health care workers the union represents who understand what’s at stake in this election,” said Senator Bob Menendez. “My campaign is all about making sure government works for the people—not the privileged few—standing up for working families, growing the middle class, and expanding access to affordable, quality health care. It’s never mattered more, and with 1199SEIU’s support, I am confident that we will win on Election Day and send a powerful message to Washington that ‘enough is enough.'”

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1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in New Jersey and nationwide. We represent over 16,000 healthcare families in New Jersey and over 400,000 total members throughout New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Maryland, Florida, and Washington, D.C.   Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.