SAN FRANCISCO- Security officers united in Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 24/7 reached a tentative agreement late last night with the Bay Area's largest private security companies on a contract that includes higher wages and family healthcare. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom and prominent Bay Area building owner Shorenstein Properties were instrumental in bringing about the settlement.

Security officers will conduct a ratification vote on Saturday, December 8th in San Francisco. The bargaining committee will unanimously recommend that the membership of the union vote to ratify what would be a five-year agreement covering more than 4,000 private security officers in San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties.

Security officers have been working under an expired contract since June 30, 2007, and conducted the West Coast's first-ever strike of private security officers over three days in September 2007.

Security officers are the lowest paid contract service workers in commercial real estate properties where union janitors, window washers, parking attendants and operating engineers have wages you can raise a family on an full family healthcare.

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