Unionized tile setters in Hawaii stopped work Monday and picketed five major construction projects in Honolulu including an expansion of Ala Moana Center.

The Masons Union Local 1 called a strike to protest what it calls “unfair practices” by a local association of tile contractors.

Todd Saito, a business representative of the union, said members have been unable to obtain comparable contract terms reached by other trades more than a year ago.

“We didn’t ask for anything more,” he said. “We just want a fair wage and benefits package.”

A representative of the Tile Contractors Association of Hawaii, a group of companies that hire tile setters, could not be reached for comment Monday.

The Masons Union has about 1,000 members, including bricklayers, hollow block setters and stonemasons. About 600 members are tile setters.

Saito said he preferred not to disclose specific terms sought in a new contract, but said the Tile Contractors Association opposes the wage and benefits package sought by the Masons Union even though general contractors approved the terms.

“The tile contractors are simply playing hardball without any justification,” he said.

According to 2014 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean hourly and annual wage for tile and marble setters in Hawaii was $29.19 and $60,710, respectively. That was third highest among states following Massachusetts and New York, and compared with national figures of $21.23 and $44,160.

The strike could produce costly delays for affected projects if it persists, especially if other trade unions stop work in a show of support.

Ala Moana Center, Hawaii’s largest mall, is in the closing stages of expanding its Ewa wing with the addition of 650,000 square feet of new retail space for roughly 60 stores. About 40 stores are scheduled to open Nov. 12, including the first Bloomingdale’s’s department store in Hawaii.

A representative of Hawaiian Dredging and Construction Co., general contractor for Ala Moana Center, could not be reached for comment.

Tile setters also picketed the construction sites of the Waiea luxury condominium tower at Ward Village, the Symphony Honolulu condo tower in Kakaako, the Ritz-Carlton Residences condo-hotel in Waikiki and the Hilton Garden Inn hotel in Waikiki.

A representative of Nordic PCL Construction Inc. said the strike is having some impact at two of its major projects, Waiea and Symphony, though for the most part other unions continued working. One exception Monday for Nordic PCL was a cement truck driver represented by the Teamsters union who opted not to cross a picket line Monday morning, the company said.