Union workers at the University of Rochester Medical Center and Strong Memorial Hospital have announced they will host an informational picket on Monday.

The picket will be held from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. in front of the emergency department. Union members will participate on their own time, joining the line before or after work or during their lunch break. 

The collective bargaining agreement, which covers more than 1,800 union caregivers and service workers, expired on Oct. 31. The unions say they remain at odds with URMC over a living wage for workers and a quality comprehensive benefits package to help recruit and retain more workers to care for patients, provide services for students and alleviate staffing concerns.

The union employees include nursing assistants and patient care technicians as well as food service workers, truck drivers and many more. According to union officials, the employees earn considerably less than the livable wage in Monroe County, which is just over $19 an hour.

The two unions representing the workers say voting members authorized the bargaining committee to issue a notice for an informational picket after multiple contract extensions. The extensions, the unions say, came after months of negotiations that included 22 bargaining sessions between United Healthcare Workers East, 200United SEIU and URMC.

Last month, the University of Rochester issued a statement saying in part:

"We are continuing with good-faith negotiations to achieve a multi-year contract renewal that is fair, competitive and equitable. The University has been negotiating in good faith since late August with representatives from 1199SEIU and 200United SEIU, and we are committed to treating each and every employee fairly — those who are represented by a union and those who are not. We work hard to ensure that our compensation, benefits, and policies are equitable and competitive, which is a priority for attracting and retaining employees."