![Yanela Sims, Ohio State Director & Vice President for SEIU Local 1, leads the demonstration. [Gabriel Kramer / ideastream]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5d91f35/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2250+0+0/resize/840x630!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F4%2F16%2FIMG_4366.JPG)
The Cleveland division of the Service Employees International Union marched through downtown Cleveland Tuesday, stopping below the Playhouse Square chandelier.
The SEIU members chanted, "We want 15," pushing for a $15 minimum wage.
Yanela Sims, Ohio State Director & Vice President for SEIU Local 1, sees plenty of development in downtown Cleveland where many of the union members work, but Sims said there's a lack of development in the Cleveland communities in which they live.
"We're not taking care of the people that live and work in Cleveland," she said.
A higher wage, Sims argued, helps workers invest in their neighborhoods.
"We deserve to be able to feed our families as well," Sims said. "We deserve to be able to give back to our communities and help Cleveland thrive. We can play a role in helping Cleveland thrive if we have the resources to do that."
The local union is in the process of contract negotiations for its janitors.
SEIU members from around the country, including Houston, Seattle and New York, joined the march.
