Union members representing 2,000 workers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles voted to allow their negotiating team to strike in May.

The action by members of the service employees union United Healthcare Workers West came after their contract with the nonprofit hospital ended on March 31. Contract negotiations began on March 21, according to the union.

The workers asked the hospital to negotiate “in good faith” over staffing levels, patient and staff safety, and wages, a press release said. The union announced Monday that 93 percent of employees voted to approve a three-day strike if talks do not progress.

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West represents Cedars-Sinai Medical Center employees, including certified nursing assistants, transportation personnel, environmental services personnel, plant operators, surgical technicians, and food service technicians.

SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West spokesman Renée Saldaña said the union plans to picket the hospital on April 20 and is expected to announce a tentative strike date by then.

“We are committed to providing our patients with the best possible care, but as our workload has increased significantly during the pandemic, this has become more difficult,” said Jose Sanchez, chief transporter at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center said at a press conference.

Saldanha said that inflation, fueling Los Angeles’ high cost of living, was “part of a tipping point” for the strike-mandating vote. Some SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West members at the hospital make as little as $17 an hour, she said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered numerous industrial actions Among U.S. healthcare workers, including union movements, strike mandates, and protests. Employees seek changes such as higher staffing levels, better security and increased compensation.

Last year, the California United Nurses Association/Healthcare Professionals Alliance alone organized five workplaces representing occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, pharmacists and nurses in California and Hawaii.

Kaiser Permanente and the union representing nearly 50,000 workers come to an agreement Tens of thousands plan to sign contracts days before the November strike.