Electrical workers protest outside Orlando VA Medical Center

ORLANDO, Fla. — Dozens of Orange County electrical workers are upset after they were laid off from their jobs at the new Veteran's Affairs Medical Center in Orlando.

The facility has been under construction in Lake Nona since 2009.

On Friday those former worker picketed outside in the rain.

The workers had a laundry-list of complaints, including working long hours and weeks without days off.

They said they worked the long hours for days at a time without complaining because they were afraid of losing their jobs, but then they ended up losing their jobs anyway.

"We're trying to complain and expose what's going on at Quinco," said Diego Vasquez.

Former workers for Quinco Electrical, which is the main electrical contractor at the site of the new VA Medical Center at Lake Nona said nearly 200 workers were laid off earlier in the week.

"Basically us handing in our badge was you're fired,” said Anthony Hernandez, another worker who was laid off.

Hernandez claims they were promised if they worked long hours, and and several days in a row, they could keep their jobs.

The massive facility was supposed to open in late 2012.

The completion date has been pushed back several times and it's still unfinished.

There's been a fight over money as contractors complain the VA owes them tens of millions of dollars because it keeps changing the plans and creating more work.

Quinco's CEO said they’ve come to part of the project where fewer electrical employees are needed.

He says they had to lay off about 100 of their 450 workers.

The protestors also complained about paying large premiums for medical insurance and not actually being covered.

Quinco said those claims are simply not true and the layoffs a reality in the construction business.

Employees said they feel deceived.

"If the building needs to get done, why are they laying us off? They're lying to us," Hernandez said.

The VA Medical Center isn't expected to be done until December 2014, more than two years behind schedule.

Many of the employees said they don't even want their jobs back they jut wanted people to know what was going on.

WFTV