Almost 4,000 unionized nursing home workers in Connecticut have chosen to continue working even though their contracts expired this week.

Workers were asking the homes to extend their contracts for several more weeks while they continue negotiating, Jerry Brown, president of the New England Health Care Workers Union District 1199, said this week. Owners have agreed to the extension while talks continue, said Toni Fatone, executive vice president of the Connecticut Association of Health Care Facilities.

The union is seeking 5% pay hikes in each of the next four years, the implementation of a minimum pay scale and the assumption of more health-benefit costs by employers. It also wants staffing increases that will cost the homes another 5%.

Brown set an April 13 deadline for homes owned by ICare Management and Spectrum Healthcare, and an April 25 deadline for other nursing home owners to reach agreements. Employees struck homes around the state when they failed to reach contracts in 2001.