Dozens of employees at New York Medical College in Valhalla went on strike on Tuesday, just a day before students are set to graduate.

According to mechanic Bobby Damato, he and his co-workers went on strike to demand livable wages.

"The future's unknown right now. So, we're fighting for our future," Damato said.

Many of the striking 1199 SEIU union members work as lab techs and maintenance workers and told News 12 that they have been without a contract since September. Several of the strikers said they were offered wage increases that amount to just over 1% per year. The increase doesn't help much, according to Alycia Samalot, who works as a research technician at the college.

"Many people, especially in my department, have multiple degrees and a lot of us are still paying back student loans. With a wage increase like this and with inflation being what it is, these are not numbers that make it possible to stay in the Westchester, or even the tri-state area," Samalot said.

Workers went unpaid Tuesday and will be back at work on Wednesday.

Eric Sinton, a student at the college, told News 12 that he supports the strike since the workers play a vital role in his education.

"It takes a lot of work to make a medical college run. So, yeah, I think the workers deserve a fair wage, a living wage to keep that going," Sinton said.

A spokesperson for the college issued a statement to News 12 saying, "We value the contributions of our union-represented employees and are hopeful that discussions will lead to a mutually acceptable agreement."

Samalot said she wants the students to know that they aren't the ones to blame for this strike.

"Without them, we wouldn't have jobs...We really do hope that they all succeed," Samalot said.

Samalot said the workers just want a little help from the college so they can have a similar chance to succeed in their careers on campus, too.

"That's all we want for everybody," Samalot said.