University of Rochester grad workers say the university has backed out of a union election agreement.

Workers organized the Graduate Labor Union (SEIU Local 200United). They've set a strike vote to start on March 24.

There are roughly 1,700 grad workers across all of the U of R campuses.

Grad employees say their work is essential to how the university functions on a daily basis even though their take home can be as little as $1,5000 a year.

"I would say it's never too late for the university to come back to the table," grad student George Elkind said. "We would like nothing more than our private election agreement. That said, we're not scared to go to the mat for it. And we won't take it lying down."

The U of R claimed a strike vote is an attempt to pressure it into a private election agreement, which it added it has never engaged in before.

"The university will not succumb to the union's pressure tactics and has taken the necessary steps to put into place contingency plans that will minimize the disruption," a spokesperson said in part.