Workers at U of R and its medical center are voting on whether to go on strike

Union representing URMC workers will vote on whether to go on strike

Updates on local, state and national News are detailed by the News10NBC Morning Team, along with traffic, sports and the weather forecast.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Caregivers and service workers at the University of Rochester Medical Center, along with the university’s River Campus, will vote on Tuesday to decide whether to go on strike.

Members of the unions 1199SEIU and SEIU Local 200 are considering a strike after they couldn’t reach a deal on a new contract with the university’s leadership. The two unions, which represent more than 1,800 workers, have been working to reach a new contract since late August. The current contract expired on Oct. 31.

The voting began at 6 a.m. at runs through 4:30 p.m. It comes after union members held an informational picket outside of Strong Hospital’s emergency department to call for increased wages and benefits.

The union says it has participated in 28 bargaining sessions and is fighting for a living wage for workers. News10NBC reached out to URMC but the healthcare system declined to comment.