Rainbow Health, a Minneapolis nonprofit serving LGBTQ and HIV-affected individuals in Minnesota, shocked its workforce of about 60 unionized employees by abruptly closing its doors without warning on Thursday. The employees were informed of the closure in an emergency all-staff meeting where the board chair announced the immediate shutdown.
SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa, the union representing Rainbow Health workers, stated that the closure violated their contract which requires a 30-day notice for layoffs of unionized workers. Despite this, employees were given no explanation and found out just hours before the closure was announced to the public.
The sudden closure came just days after the CEO resigned following a vote of no confidence by the unionized workers. Rainbow Health had been offering case management and mental health services to LGBTQ Minnesotans since its creation in 2018, through a merger between the Minnesota AIDS Project and the Rainbow Health Initiative.
The Rainbow Health Workers Coordinating Committee, representing the unionized employees, expressed shock, sadness, and anger over the closure, demanding answers from the organization’s board of directors and vowing to continue fighting for their rights as workers. They also emphasized the importance of ensuring continuity of client care for the community members they serve.
Despite multiple attempts to contact Rainbow Health for comment, they did not immediately respond. The sudden closure has left both employees and clients with many questions and concerns about the future of LGBTQ and HIV-affected healthcare services in Minnesota.
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Photo credit minnesotareformer.com
