ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — An informational picket is taking place Monday by the Union caregivers and service workers at Strong Memorial Hospital Monday morning.

The workers of URMC, Strong, and River Campus will be holding a picket in front of the emergency room in order to fight for a fair contract.

The union, 1199SEIU, says they are looking for fair increases in wages and to address staffing issues, with workers looking for a benefits package that would recruit and retain workers to address these issues.

The contract between the union and URMC expired at the end of October, with the union saying that if negotiations led to failure to reach an agreement, the picket would happen.

In response, URMC officials put out a statement saying they respect the right of union workers to do a picket, but they say they have been negotiating with the union since August.

Full Statement from URMC

We respect the right of our union workers to engage in informational picketing. Our understanding and expectation is that the information picket will not disrupt University of Rochester operations, or patient care at Strong Memorial Hospital and UR Medicine outpatient facilities.

The University has been negotiating in good faith since late August with representatives from 1199SEIU and 200United SEIU. We intend to continue good-faith negotiations this week, striving to achieve a multi-year contract renewal that is fair, competitive and equitable. 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.