Making Life Better through Solidarity Forever!

QWB stands in solidarity with the unionizing of all workers especially those in the low income brackets. From the janitors, to the cafeteria workers, to the hotel and restaurant employees and to the newest group being organized by SEIU Security Officers.

The Summer issue of “Building Strength” the magazine of 32BJ of SEIU had some very good news regarding the effort to unionize the low income workers in the Security profession. A little note here: Some Security Officers in New York City make $7.00 an hour. We won’t even get into what is expected of them in performance of their duties.

A major breakthrough happened this spring when 1,500 security officers working in Washington D.C.’s office buildings won a four year contract that provides significant yearly pay raises and for the first time, employer-paid comprehensive health care for all full-time workers (part-time workers will receive prescription drug coverage, as well as dental, vision and life insurance benefits).  Note: Let’s put health care on the table next time for all part-time workers. According to “Building Strength” the contracts were signed with the four major security companies including Admiral Security, Allied Barton, Guardsmark and Securitas which cover 75% of the office buildings in D.C. These contracts raise the officers pay and benefits by 30% and some officers saw immediate raises of between $2 and $4 per hour. Contracts include pay sick days and paid vacations both firsts for D.C’s private security officers.

“We Will Not Back Down” in New York, New York.

4,000 Security Officers in New York City are negotiating new contracts and thousands more are fighting to join 32BJ. “Union and non-union officers are standing together, ” says Hector Figueroa, 32BJ’s secretary-treasurer, “because it is their united front that will bring real change to the industry.” Security Officers have had a wave of success in organizing–in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Settle, Minneapolis, and Washington D.C. and to fully organize New York City. “We will not back down,”says Kevin Doyle, 32BJ’s executive vice president. Officers along with community leaders, union leaders and many elected representatives marched and rallied in midtown Manhattan in May of this year.

Hartford Awaits the Struggle.

Here in Hartford we wait for 32BJ to begin organizing. Many officers make under $20,000 a year gross. Security Officers have no sick days, no personal days (most of my middle class buddies think that everyone has them), Holiday pay is only given if you work that day and then it is paid at time and a half, bereavement leave was taken away and is no longer given for anyone. With no sick days if one gets sick it usually spreads to all of us since we share the same equipment. With such low pay to start no one stays home if they are sick. Our prescription drug coverage is capped at $2,000 a year. Try that if you need a monthly prescription. One Officer that I know has coverage that runs out in June and then his monthly prescription costs $433.oo. His doctor’s office has been most gracious in giving out free samples to cover him from June until the next year. Some of the companies in the Hartford area do not even offer Health Coverage . Working conditions vary as the companies sign a contract with each individual building. So some will offer better wages and health coverage and some do not. Unionizing Security Officers would be an end to the whims and fancies of each building manager as they would have to negotiate with all of us. I have seen the industry change over the years it is no longer made of up old white men or cop wanna be’s. We are a very diversified group of people and I have found we are ready and willing to get the respect we deserve, to get justice for all and equal and fair treatment. We understand that we must unite to make our lives better for ourselves and all workers.  As Mike Fishman says, “The time for change is now.”