HealthPartners employees in Stillwater voted to authorize an unfair labor practices strike, their union announced Monday.

Roughly 80 licensed practical nurses, certified medical assistants and other health care workers in the family medicine, pediatrics and OB-GYN fields voted to authorize the strike with an 84% approval rate.

The vote will allow the group to call for a strike after giving their employers a 10-day notice. 

The SEIU Healthcare union and HealthPartners Stillwater Medical Group have met eight times since May. Wages and longevity bonuses for longtime employees remain some of the sticking points at the bargaining table, the union says.

"We are so close to a deal. Our members have come so far, and we don't want to be taken advantage of anymore," said Melissa Sirek, a certified medical assistant at HealthPartners SMG. "Everyone is standing united, ready to fight for what we deserve. We just cannot give up when we're this close."

HealthPartners and the union will meet for negotiations again on Wednesday.

"We have a fair contract proposal on the table. We hope to avoid a strike and look forward to resuming negotiations," HealthPartners said in a statement.