Building and food service workers were joined by other groups on campus, as they continued their pickets against the University before negotiations for a new wage contract on Wednesday morning in front of the Activities and Recreation Center.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, or AFSCME, the Campus Faculty Association and the Undergraduate-Graduate Student Alliance all came to show their support for the picketers and Service Employees International Union, or SEIU Local 73.

“We are with SEIU all the way. We fought with the University and picketed for 16 months to get a new contract,” said Margaret Lewis of AFSCME.

Ricky Baldwin, senior field organizer of SEIU Local 73, said the workers have gained a lot of support and that the Illinois Student Senate recently passed a resolution in support of their favor.

During the last negotiations, Baldwin said the University did finally reach an agreement to bring in a mediator. However, he added that this is where agreement between the two sides ended. According to Baldwin, the University made a new proposal that would allow up to 15 percent of jobs to become temporary.

Baldwin said that SEIU has planned to file Unfair Labor Practice Charges against the University.

“I find it a bit disturbing that the University would move towards less secure jobs, and they are really just continuing to show disrespect for its workforce,” Baldwin said.