More than 60 University building and service workers continued picketing outside of Florida Avenue Residence Hall Thursday morning before negotiations took place with the University and a federal mediator. For the past nine months the service workers have been negotiating with the University for a better wage contract.

Thursday figures to be the last negotiation between the two sides before the workers and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 73’s imposed deadline of Sunday at midnight when the union of more than 800 workers plan to go on strike.

“These people are fed up and they’re ready to walk,” said Ricky Baldwin, senior field organizer of SEIU Local 73.

A notice to terminate their contract and strike anytime after 14 days expired was issued April 1.

An impending strike seemed to excite the crowd as they unveiled new chants in favor of striking including, “Let them talk, we will walk.”

“The University may think we’re bluffing but these picket lines aren’t getting smaller every time they’re getting bigger,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin said he expected an offer from the University during Thursday’s negotiation and then the workers and SEIU Local 73 would meet over the weekend and the workers would take a vote on the proposal. But Baldwin said that if the proposal is anything like what they have been offered in the past, the people will not hesitate to strike starting Monday morning.

“This is an opportunity for the people to stand up for themselves. They’ve been laid off, underpaid and a lot of this is about respect and fairness,” Baldwin said.