More than 500 janitors and groundskeepers employed by the University of Miami’s cleaning contractor, ABM, voted to authorize a strike unless a deal could be reached before the end of the month, the union reported Monday.

The vote was announced at a rally and march on Monday afternoon at UM's main campus in Coral Gables. The current contract expires Aug. 30.

Janitors, members of 32BJ SEIU, gathered outside Saint Bede Chapel, joined by community leaders including South Miami Mayor Javier Fernandez and Miami Commissioner Christine King. They chanted, held signs and marched to the sounds of a mariachi band.

“As a single mother of two boys, surviving in Miami has become nearly impossible. My rent jumped from $1,800 to $2,500,” Luz Ballestas, an ABM janitor and member of the union bargaining

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