LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The clock is ticking for union workers at the Louisville Metro Housing Authority to negotiate a new contract they hope will maintain strong healthcare benefits and job security.

To kickoff talks for a new deal, a handful of the more than 100 LMHA maintenance and cleaning workers gathered outside the agency's downtown headquarters on Monday morning.

One of the bigger sticking points is the fear of subcontracted workers taking their place.

"We used to have over 300 maintenance men just on the union side. We're down to roughly 110, and the city hasn't gotten any smaller," Ronnie Holcombe, who handles HVAC for LMHA, told reporters at the rally.

These employees are represented by the 32BJ SEIU, and the current contract with LMHA expires on September 22, leaving them two we

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