Mylane Hastings is an SEIU-UHW member. She works as a Respiratory Therapist at CHW Mercy San Juan Medical Center.

"The new healthcare law goes a long way to helping give working people back just a little more personal freedom. So many of us make decisions about where and how we work based on whether or not the job provides healthcare. I used to work per diem at a hospital because the pay is so much higher, but healthcare jobs that pay you by the day like that don't provide any benefits.

"I have high blood pressure, I'm African American, and I'm a woman. Each of those is a 'pre-existing condition' according to most health insurers.

"I couldn't find a healthcare plan, or the few I could find cost so much there was no way to afford them. So I ended up taking a different job, working for less money--but my job provides health insurance.

"It's a trade-off that I wanted to make because my health is important to me. But think of how much more freedom workers would have if we could get our healthcare regardless of whether or not our employers provide it.

"With the Affordable Care Act, we all have access to affordable insurance and we won't be denied coverage. We need to protect that."

SEIU-UHW members worked hard to pass the Affordable Care Act (ACA), which President Obama signed into law March 23, 2010. Already some politicians are trying to take away the new benefits of the law that went into effect on January 1, 2011. We're working hard to promote and protect the ACA.