SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) -- Just two months after hitting the picket lines, roughly 5,000 Sharp HealthCare workers are, once again, preparing to vote on a potential strike. On Thursday, the employees, represented by SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West (SEIU-UHW), gathered at San Diego Marriott Mission Valley to announce dates for a strike authorization vote. The workers voiced concerns over what they referred to as "a series of unfair labor practices related to contract bargaining." They also brought attention to simmering staff concerns related to what they described as "unsafe staffing levels," which they say could lead to long wait times and mistaken diagnoses. Push to remove tolls on SR-125 continues The workers said that if Sharp HealthCare executives don’t take action to rectify what they consider to be unfair labor practices, they’ll have no choice but to strike. Workers also say the company needs to address what they believe is "a growing care crisis" across its facilities. “Sharp executives refuse to acknowledge how much patient care has deteriorated or how much the frontline healthcare workforce and patients are suffering because of the Sharp short-staffing crisis,” said Dave Regan, president of SEIU-UHW. “The San Diego patient care crisis cannot be solved unless Sharp executives follow the law by bargaining with healthcare workers in good faith and take dramatic action now to solve the crisis by investing in its workforce.” Dave Regan, president of SEIU-UHW, speaks in front of Sharp HealthCare workers as they announce a strike authorization vote. (Credit: SEIU-UHW) FOX 5/KUSI reached out to Sharp HealthCare regarding the workers' allegations and the potential strike. The following statement was provided Thursday: The union is making these blatantly false claims in an attempt to pressure Sharp at the bargaining table. San Diegans should know that our hospital staffing levels are safe and actually among the highest in the state. Also, it is revealing that among the 19 allegations the union has filed against Sharp, 14 have either been dismissed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) or the union has been forced to withdraw due to lack of evidence. Sharp is responding to the remaining 5 allegations and looks forward to their possible dismissal/withdrawal. Importantly, Sharp has proposed a generous wage package that provides, on average, a 21% wage increase over three years and health insurance for employees and their families with no monthly premium, among other benefits. Our proposal recognizes and respects our valuable workers, and we urge the union to do the right thing for them and work with Sharp to come to a final agreement. -- Sharp HealthCare spokesperson Thursday's strike authorization vote announcement follows similar calls from workers back in August. During that time, the employees demanded better pay and more staffing. Sharp HealthCare workers gather to announce they will be holding a strike authorization vote. (Credit: SEIU-UHW) The voting window for strike authorization will open on Oct. 29 through Nov. 1. Workers can cast their votes at multiple Sharp Healthcare facilities, including Grossmont Hospital, Sharp HospiceCare, Chula Vista Medical Center, Memorial Hospital, Mesa Vista Hospital, as well as Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns.