(FOX40.COM) — At least eight people were detained Wednesday afternoon after members and supporters of a state worker union refused to leave the building that the California Legislature has been working out of.

Dozens of members of SEIU Local 1000 and their supporters blocked the entrance to and later entered the building, which is located at 10th and O Streets.

Demonstrators were in the lobby and main staircase of the building commonly known as the legislative “swing space,” where legislators and the governor work while the state Capitol undergoes renovations.

After 2 p.m., the California Highway Patrol, which is in charge of security for several state government buildings in Sacramento, ordered the people to disperse and eventually arrested at least eight participants.

Among those detained were Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, a former legislator who now leads the California Labor Federation, and Sacramento councilmembers Caity Maple and Katie Valenzuela.

It was not clear if the eight people detained were arrested, but they were taken away in a CHP vehicle.

Demonstrators said it was all to send a message to state leaders and their representatives in union negotiations.

“Back in April, we put forward what we thought was a fair economic proposal,” said Jonah Paul, a member of SEIU Local 1000 and an employee of the California Employment Development Department.

“The state responded with a 6% lowball, a 6% raise over three years even with inflation we’ve been experiencing across the country, and that’s unacceptable,” Paul continued.

Governor Gavin Newsom briefly addressed the contract negotiations earlier this week, saying he hopes to reach a deal soon, but he added he could not say much more because of the ongoing negotiations.