The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees staged a demonstration outside the Champaign County Courthouse in Urbana, Ill., on Tuesday afternoon.

The central issues in their ongoing contract negotiations have been centered on wages and healthcare benefits. The union’s last contract with the county concluded at the end of the previous year, and a recent vote showed 96% of members would support striking if needed.

Cecelia Phillips, president of the local AFSCME chapter, expressed concern by saying, “If the courthouse workers don’t come in, what happens to court proceedings? If there’s no animal control staff, who handles animal care? This directly affects citizens of Champaign County.” She added, “Striking isn’t what we want because we’re passionate about our jobs, but ensuring we can provide for our families is vital.”

There are two more planned mediated negotiation sessions. Phillips said if a new contract isn’t done by then, a strike could happen.