Simon Fraser University's child-care centre was closed Thursday after unionized workers walked off the job.

About 150 people - including parents and supporters - waved placards outside the centre, part of a one-day study session, union spokesperson Teresa Marshall said.

The union announced the job action last week, after members rejected the latest offer from the SFU Child Care Society.

Workers also plan to hold rotating strikes that will affect 12 child-care programs starting July 30.

The B.C. Government and Service Employees' Union represents 67 child-care workers who have been without a contract since March 2006.

The union says talks have stalled over wages and benefits. Senior workers at the centre earn $16.24 per hour.

Marshall said management applied for a mediator Tuesday but revoked the offer when the union announced it would go ahead with Thursday's strike.

"We were willing to go back to the table," Marshall said. "What the employer was really trying to do is stop today's job action."

Pat Frouws, executive director of the society, said she applied for a mediator under provincial legislation that prohibits further job action.

"They told me the strike was still on for today," Frouws said.

"They need to come back to me if they're willing to mediate."

SFU has said classes will continue as usual during the strikes.

In December, the federal government cut an early learning and child-care agreement that would have funnelled about $455 million in funding to B.C. over the next three years.

The provincial government then announced it would have to reduce child-care funding, too.

The society has discussed raising fees to offset the cuts, but the union has argued parents can't handle higher fees.

According to the society's fee listing, the cost for full-time care for a child in the three-to-18-month group is $997, $882 for the 12-to-36-month group and $636 for programs for three- to five-year-olds.

The society serves about 260 families and provides roughly 25 per cent of the under-three care available in all of Burnaby.