Members of Local 412, which represents roughly 260 campus dining employees, voted 89 percent in favor of authorizing a strike if the university and the union fail to reach a new contract by September 15.
The vote does not call a strike immediately. Union leadership described it as leverage heading into a bargaining session scheduled for next week, the fourth since talks began in the spring.
What's at stake
Union representatives say the central disputes are wages that have not kept pace with regional cost-of-living increases and a proposed change to health coverage that would raise deductibles for part-time staff.
A university spokesperson said the school "remains committed to reaching a fair agreement at the table" and characterized the strike authorization as a standard step in ongoing negotiations.