More than 300 local janitors decided Saturday to authorize a strike than have their medical benefits cut.

Janitors in Bellevue, Redmond, Tacoma, Seattle and Sea-Tac Airport voted to authorize their bargaining team to call a strike if employers continued to bargain for cuts to medical benefits.

Employees have been negotiating since May 8 and their contract expires on June 30.

Members of the union voiced their testimony on the importance of healthcare.

"I am not afraid of hard work, or working until the early morning," said Seattle janitor Dora Ortiz. "I'm worried, scared, I can't sleep when I think about losing medical benefits for my husband. He needs them to live."

The janitors on strike are members of the SEIU Local 6. The union representsproperty service workers, which include airport workers, janitors, security officers, maintenance and custodial workers in the state. 

The authorized strike would affect thousands of office workers, merchants, transportation and restaurant workers, in addition to area janitors and their families.