ROCHESTER N.Y. — Employees of Anthony L. Jordan Health Center are striking Monday, following several failed attempts at negotiation for health care benefits, wage increase, and more.

“We’re just employees who want to be appreciated for the work that we do,” said Center Employee, Christopher Roe. “It’s been a big concern for our fellow employees to keep our health care. They’ve been ready for us to go on strike for a while; they knew it would come to this, because they had no intentions of ever giving us a contract.”

Roe has been an employee for the health center for more than half a decade. He says since November, negotiations for a new contract have been unsuccessful.

“It’s great, we have free health care — it’s fantastic. It’s a big reason why a lot of people are willing to expect, maybe, less money and work a little harder and stay where they are,” he said.

United Healthcare Workers East Regional Vice President Bruce Popper says that after six months of negotiating for a new union contract at the health center, 65 workers have decided to engage in a one day walkout.

“The situation, I would characterize as, no faith in the management," Popper said. "We’ve negotiated in good faith and tried to work out an arrangement with them. The issues are wages and health insurance, at this point.”

Popper says that management wanted a wage freeze this year, but the union came up with a proposal to reduce the health center’s cost for employee health insurance to balance out the cost of a modest wage increase in 2018.

“We came up with a way for no labor cost increase in 2018, which they have rejected,” said Popper.

“They weren’t interested,” added Roe.

To date, there have been 15 bargaining sessions with management. Popper says he hopes a solution can come from the strike and entire ordeal.

“We’re hopeful that the community will make their voices heard and say let’s have a settlement here and lets not have a further confrontation, we are willing and able to negotiate a reasonable compromise,” said Popper. “It takes two parties to do that and so far the workers have really, in my opinion, have bent over backwards to achieve a settlement than the management has been intransigent.”

That strike took place Monday morning outside of the health center. The union says its members will return to work Tuesday.

Jordan Health officials responded to the walkout in a statement, saying in part:

"Jordan Health has put a fair wage and benefit proposal on the table which the union has rejected and has subsequently called for a strike. We are ready and willing to continue to negotiate with the union and have been working with the federal mediator to attempt to reach a mutually acceptable agreement."

The health center also says it's trying to reach the budget approved by its Board of Directors.

That includes what it calls a 'small' number of layoffs — Jordan Health did not specify how many. Some leadership positions will not be filled and current leadership will not see any salary adjustments this year.

Expenses for all of the center's departments are being cut to minimal levels to keep going. The center says employee benefits will be maintained, but the wage freeze will be enforced.

Jordan Center CEO and President Janice Harbin said in a statement:

“We remain passionate about the community we have served for the last 50 years as a Federally Qualified Health Center. Our doors will remain open and our services accessible and uninterrupted.”