Carmen Valencia has been working at D.C.’s convention center since before the current building, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, was built.

But the banquet server says that after Philadelphia-based Aramark Corp. took over the contract for concessions and catering services at the convention center in April, she and her co-workers have found it difficult to make ends meet.

“In the past, I was able to help my mom and dad” through her paycheck at the convention center, says Valencia. “Since Aramark took over, I’m struggling to the point where I couldn’t pay my electricity bill.”

Approximately 295 food and beverage workers at the convention center are unionized with UNITE HERE Local 23. Valencia and other members of the union contend that Aramark isn’t offering them the same hours as the previous contractor, Centerplate, and is using subcontractors instead.

“They called a lot of other people from outside who don’t know the building,” she says. “I know every hole in the convention center … I’m not going to say it’s my second house. I would say it’s my first house, because I would spend more time there than I would at my own home before they cut hours.”

That practice leaves workers in a bind in two main ways, per Valencia: their paychecks are much slimmer than they used to be, and the decrease in hours means that they’re not eligible for benefits like health insurance.

So about a week ago, 98 percent of the workers at the convention center voted to authorize a strike. That means that the bargaining committee, of which Valencia is a part, can call for a walkout at any point. In the meantime, some organized workers have been picketing in front of the building when they’re not on the clock.

“All of us are worried about what’s going to happen,” says Valencia. “There are some co-workers who are worried about if they’re going to lose their job, but we’re not getting hours anyway. The only thing we have is to speak out and fight for it.”

In a statement provided by spokesperson David Freireich, Aramark said, “We respect the rights of our employees and the collective bargaining process. We continue to bargain in good faith and hope to reach an agreement that works for everyone.”

According to Allison Burket, lead organizer for UNITE HERE, the last negotiation between workers and Aramark occurred on May 7, and another one has not been scheduled. Aramark has not responded to a request to confirm this information.

Workers want a new contract to include raises in line with the increased cost-of-living in D.C.; protections around health insurance; scheduling that that prevents Aramark from outsourcing to contractors; and a seat at the table for workers to discuss how technology will impact their jobs.

Burket says that the previous contract with Centerplate protected workers from jobs being outsourced to subcontractors and non-union workers.

Aramark was operating at the convention center before April—it held the contract to provide janitorial services there. It also has other local contracts including at D.C.’s jail, where the Department of Health cited the multi-billion-dollar company “for repeated violations of District regulations related to public health and food service.”

The District paid for the convention center, which opened in 2003. The building is now run by Events DC, the city’s semi-public sports and entertainment authority, which is funded through hotel and restaurant taxes and revenue from several city properties, including the convention center. It holds a bevy of events each year, “from intimate private meetings to grand events with extensive guest lists,” according to the website. Events DC did not respond to a request for comment.