Union members at Westchester Community College protested outside an appearance of County Executive Rob Astorino Thursday night for their lack of a contract.

Astorino was on the college campus addressing the Hispanic Small Business Forum.

Protesters are demanding a new contract for the school's 300 non-teaching employees. They have been working without a contract since 2009.

Union members say they are being used as pawns in a game of political chess and they blame Astorino. One union member says that Astorino wants to prove something to the state because he's running for governor.

Astorino, though, says this isn't his fight. He says, "I guess I'm being blamed for everything today, but unfortunately for them I have nothing to do with this contract." He goes on to say that the contract has solely to do with the college itself.

College officials say they won't go into details about negotiations, but they say the negotiations are taking place. They say they are hopeful that they will come to a resolution soon.