Hundreds of Sharp HealthCare employees plan to protest outside company headquarters Friday

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) – Hundreds of Sharp HealthCare employees are preparing to protest Friday after going more than a year without a contract.

"They’re struggling with that simple message of us wanting something fair and we’re just asking for equity," said Joni Vargas, a phlebotomy technician at Sharp Grossmont. 

Since unionizing last year, thousands of Sharp HealthCare workers across several locations are struggling to reach a contract with the provider.

Roughly 5,000 Sharp employees represented by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West include lab assistants, ultrasound techs, nursing assistants, pharmacists and many roles outside of registered nurses.

They say workers are dealing with staffing shortages, safety concerns and low wages for San Diego's cost of living.

"We want to be able to live here and we want to be able to feed our families and survive," said Elena Johnston, who works in central supply at Sharp Grossmont.