FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - City of Fresno white-collar employees went on strike at 4 a.m. Tuesday, demanding higher wages and a better work-life balance. This is the first time the Fresno Professional Employees union has gone on strike. “This organization has existed since the 90s, and we’ve never had to come this far,” Union President Jesse Gonzalez said. City leaders say they are disappointed to see the workers' choice to initiate a two-day strike. “It's unfortunate that it's come to this point. I'm super proud of the rest of our workforce for stepping up,” City Manager Georgeanne White said. The strike includes the supervisors for most city agencies, as well as some sympathy strikers who work under them. However, supervisors in the Fresno Police Department, 911 dispatch and the Fresno Yosemite International Airport are not allowed to strike. Gonzalez says the members asked the city for a 3% salary increase and a guaranteed day each week when they are not on call. The city offered a 2% wage increase, along with a one-time 1% payment and an increase in their safety gear allowance. “I do think that these members have been treated fairly from a financial perspective,” White said. Gonzales says the city’s raise proposal does not keep up with inflation, though. “We're just looking for a livable wage that my members can have and continue to move forward with,” Gonzalez said. He says the union’s negotiators in Sacramento reached out to the city on Monday to continue negotiations, but they did not hear back. Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer says he is still awaiting a call from the union. "My phone is on 24 hours a day. Jesse knows how to get a hold of me… I’ll make myself available tonight, as well as my team,” Dyer said. Both sides say they want the strike to end. Gonzalez says he's hopeful for a favorable outcome for the union members. “Maybe it’s a Christmas miracle wish, I don’t know,” he said. However, while he says it will take a Christmas miracle to come to an agreement, Dyer says it will simply take a conversation. “In the meantime, we’ll have contingency plans ready to go for if they strike tomorrow,” Dyer said.