Thousands of service workers employed by the University of California announced Monday that April 14 will be the date of a one-day strike unless significant progress is made in negotiations for a new contract.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 3299, which represents 7,300 janitors, housekeepers, security guards, groundskeepers, and other low-skilled positions, made the announcement after failing to make progress with the system on as many as 40 issues.

The workers are employed throughout the university’s nine campuses, with about 2,500 at UCLA.

Chief among the issues is a demand for a wage increase, which UC officials said they cannot pay for unless funds for it are included by the Legislature in the system’s 2005-06 budget. The workers have been without a contract since Jan. 30.

It is not known how many workers will walk off the job because only 60 percent of the workforce pays dues to the union.

“We believe it is going to be a very strong turnout,” said Nicole Moore, a Local 3299 organizer. “It’s a matter of justice. The university system is not bargaining with the workers fairly.”