LOUISVILLE, Ky. —With the end of their contract less than a week away, thousands of GE Appliances workers voted Monday on whether to authorize a strike against the company.

Members of IUE-CWA Local 83761 participated in a socially-distanced, drive-thru vote Monday that began at 5 a.m. and ended at 6 p.m. They were only required to give a “yay” or “nay” on whether they would support a strike.

A vote to authorize a strike does not mean a strike will happen. But it does give the union the go-ahead to a strike if negotiations with the company sour. 

The current contract between the union and Haier, the China-based company that bought GE Appliances in 2016, expires on September 6. In a statement, IUE-CWA Local 83761 President Dino Driskell said union members seek lower healthcare costs and higher wages in a new contract. “Over this last contract, our healthcare costs have outpaced our raises by a wide margin,” Driskell said.  “This has effectively taken our membership backwards, monetarily, over the last 3 years.”

Driskell added that he expects a “unanimous yes vote” once Monday’s votes are tallied.

The Facebook page for IUE-CWA Local 83761 includes videos of GE workers expressing what they would like to see in the union’s next contract. Among the issues mentioned are changes to overtime rules, cost of living raises, and an increase in paid sick days.

Julie Wood, Senior Director of Corporate Communications for GE, said in a statement that the company and union have made “significant progress” toward a new contract in recent months. She cited a “good working relationship with the IUE-CWA” and said, “Our goal is to reach a new agreement that is fair and positions both our employees and the company for long-term success.”