Group aims to unionize L.A. security guards

Jul 11, 2006 3:46 PM

           

The Service Employees International Union has dispatched more than 100 organizers and members from around the country to Los Angeles as part of a two-week push to sign up thousands of licensed security guards for a new union local.
The goal of the drive, say union and religious leaders, is to secure signatures from more than half of the approximately 6,000 licensed security guards who are employed by five large security contractors in office buildings around Los Angeles county.
If they can collect about 3,500 cards, union officials said, they would be in a strong position to pressure security companies and building owners to quickly recognize a security officers' union. The service employees union and other unions prefer this strategy to the often costly and time-consuming step of holding a formal election.
"In a city with the greatest disparity between rich and poor, the L.A. security officers' drive is an unmistakable call for equal opportunity and the freedom of all workers to rise up and out of poverty," said Andy Stern, President of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), who last week talked with officers who protect downtown high-rises. "With the same wealthy landlords in every city, the L.A. security officers' historic effort has the potential to transform the jobs and communities of more than 100,000 workers across the country, most of whom are African American."
The service employees union is launching the campaign in part to build on momentum from an agreement the union announced in April with downtown Los Angeles' biggest commercial property owner, Robert F. Maguire III, that allows guards in his buildings to unionize, The Los Angeles Times reports. Other building owners had opposed the organizing effort after it was launched in 2000 and have not commented on their position since the Maguire deal.
By bringing in union members and organizers from around the country, union officials are trying to encourage comparisons between Los Angeles security guards and unionized guards in other cities. Service employees union leaders point out that more than two-thirds of the commercial office space in Los Angeles is owned or managed by companies that use unionized security officers in other cities, including in San Francisco, Chicago and New York.
The union's campaign is part of a national effort to organize guards in 10 cities, including Sacramento, Milwaukee and Washington, D.C. Union officials say that the opposition from Los Angeles building owners has been strong and that the high turnover and sprawling distances of Southern California slowed organizing.
The union said that security guards typically make about $6 per hour less in wages and benefits than janitors. In Los Angeles a unionized janitor can make $12 an hour or more, plus healthcare benefits. Most security guards earn about $8 an hour, according to the union.
In other news for L.A. guards, California assemblywoman Karen Bass of Los Angeles has introduced legislation to allow many security guards to arrest suspects.
Under provisions of the bill, security officers would need to undergo 88 hours of specialized training with the Los Angeles Police Department before earning arrest powers. The Los Angeles City Council's Public Safety Committee says it and the LAPD need to make an aggreement for the training before the bill reaches a vote.

Want to use this article? Click here for options!
© 2008 Penton Media Inc.

SUBSCRIBE

Select an Issue April 1, 2008 March 1, 2008 February 1, 2008 January 1, 2008 December 1, 2007 November 1, 2007 October 1, 2007 September 1, 2007 August 1, 2007 July 1, 2007 June 1, 2007 IP Security Supplement May 1, 2007 April 1, 2007 March 1, 2007 February 1, 2007 January 1, 2007 School Security December 1, 2006 November 1, 2006 October 1, 2006 September 1, 2006 August 1, 2006 July 1, 2006 June 1, 2006 May 1, 2006 April 1, 2006 March 1, 2006 February 1, 2006 January 1, 2006 December 1, 2005 November 1, 2005 October 1, 2005 September 1, 2005 August 1, 2005 July 1, 2005 June 1, 2005 May 1, 2005 April 1, 2005 March 1, 2005 February 1, 2005 January 1, 2005 December 1, 2004 November 1, 2004 October 1, 2004 September 1, 2004 August 1, 2004 July 1, 2004 July 1, 2004 June 1, 2004 May 1, 2004 April 1, 2004 March 1, 2004 February 1, 2004 January 1, 2004 December 1, 2003 November 1, 2003 October 1, 2003 September 1, 2003 August 1, 2003 July 1, 2003 June 1, 2003 May 1, 2003 April 1, 2003 March 1, 2003 February 1, 2003 January 1, 2003 December 1, 2002 November 1, 2002 October 1, 2002 September 1, 2002 August 1, 2002 July 1, 2002 June 1, 2002 May 1, 2002 April 1, 2002 March 1, 2002 February 1, 2002 January 1, 2002 December 1, 2001 November 1, 2001 October 1, 2001 September 1, 2001 August 1, 2001 July 1, 2001 June 1, 2001 May 1, 2001 April 1, 2001 March 1, 2001 February 1, 2001 January 1, 2001 December 1, 2000 November 1, 2000 October 1, 2000 September 1, 2000 August 1, 2000 July 1, 2000 June 1, 2000 May 1, 2000 April 1, 2000 March 1, 2000 February 1, 2000 January 1, 2000 December 1, 1999 November 1, 1999 October 1, 1999 September 1, 1999 August 1, 1999 July 1, 1999 June 1, 1999 May 1, 1999 April 1, 1999 March 1, 1999 February 1, 1999 January 1, 1999 December 1, 1998 November 1, 1998 October 1, 1998 September 1, 1998 August 1, 1998 July 1, 1998 June 1, 1998 May 1, 1998 April 1, 1998 March 1, 1998 February 1, 1998 January 1, 1998 December 1, 1997 November 1, 1997 October 1, 1997 September 1, 1997 August 1, 1997 July 1, 1997 June 1, 1997 May 1, 1997 April 1, 1997 March 1, 1997 February 1, 1997 January 1, 1997

This month in Access Control

• Opening Up About Door Closers
• An Enterprise Approach
• The Framework For Open Systems
• On A Higher Plane
• More from April's issue