NY1 Reports: Thousands of Con Edison workers could be walking off the job this weekend, since contract negotiations did not improve Thursday.

Union officials from Local 1-2 said that they have not made any progress in talks with the utility, and say both sides remain “miles apart.”

A spokesperson says the utility won’t budge on wages and medical costs. They are also disputing a proposal that workers who retire while on workers’ compensation have to repay benefits from their pensions.

“We submitted to Con Edison an economic proposal. It�s eight days later and we have yet to receive an answer, which is absolutely incredulous,” said Local 1-2 spokesman Joe Flaherty. “It seems to us that they want to force a labor dispute. They want to force the union to strike.”

Union President Harry Farrell says the union voted last week to authorize a strike beginning Sunday, and he charges that Con Ed would be ill-equipped to handle it.

Local 1-2 represents 9,000 electric, gas and steam workers in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx and Westchester.