Gov. Ned Lamont is offering both sides a deal to prevent workers from 33 nursing homes in the state from going on strike on Friday.

In Connecticut, almost 4,000 nursing home residents have died of COVID-19. The workers who cared for them made $16 an hour on average.

Their union, SEIU1199, released a new report titled, "We Were Abandoned," which calls for higher minimum staffing levels, higher salaries, more state funding and more unannounced inspections.

"Just in the last 24 hours, I've received reports of many facilities working with dangerous staffing levels, one [certified nursing assistant] taking care of over 20 residents on day shift," says Jesse Martin, SEIU1199NE vice president.

What will a strike mean for residents? Matthew Barrett, president and CEO of the CT Association of Health Care Facilities, says they're "now in the process of strike contingency planning, including entering into non-refundable replacement worker contracts."

If the strike happens, some patients could be transferred to other homes if they can't find enough replacement workers.

Although the negotiations are only between the nursing homes and the 1199NE union, on Monday, Lamont made an offer to both sides that includes: 

On Monday, the SEIU 1199NE union sent strike notices to six additional nursing homes: St. Camilius, Governor’s House, West Hartford Health and Rehab, Advanced Center for Nursing, and Cassena of Stamford and Norwalk. The union said about 600 workers could walk off the job on May 28 if they can’t reach a new contract.

News 12 will continue to follow all developments regarding the planned strike.