LIHUE, Hawaii (KHON2) -- Wilcox Medical Center, the largest medical center on Kauai, nurses are voting to authorize a strike to protest unfair labor practices. Get Hawaii's latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You Hawaiʻi Nurses Association has been in negotiations with Wilcox Medical Center since May and their contracts expired in August. "We believe Hawaiʻi Pacific Health should bargain in good faith over whether to extend the same support to its Wilcox Medical Center nurses to ensure Kauai residents have access to quality care," said Quyen Rockwell, a Wilcox nurse of 16 years. The nursing team, which consists of 159 members, will be voting to authorize the strike until Jan. 1 at 8 p.m. "We hope fairness will prevail because unlike those in Honolulu, patients on Kauai have fewer options when they need care," said Rosalee Agas-Yuu, HNA president. "They don't have the luxury of choosing to go to another hospital. Our goal is to avoid disruptions in care for Kauai's patients." Bicyclist struck on Kūhiō Highway, marks Kaua‘i’s 8th traffic fatality Nurses are concerned about staffing ratios and management's bargaining practices, among other issues, said Dianna Rodriguez, a Wilcox RN of six years. KHON2 received the following statement from Wilcox Medical Centerʻs CEO Jen Chahanovich: "Through 22 bargaining sessions, including the recent involvement of a federal mediator, we have been dedicated to reaching an agreement with our nurses. They are a valuable part of our Wilcox team, and we will continue to negotiate in good faith with the Hawai‘i Nurses’ Association. We will wait for the voting results and remain focused on serving our patients and their families on Kaua‘i." Find more Hawaii, Oahu, Maui and Kauai news here This strike authorization vote comes shortly after Kapiʻolani Medical Center's 600 nurses won a three-year contract after a year of negotiations, two strikes and an 18-day lockout. Their contract took effect in October, and will expire in Oct. 2027.