Thirty Percent Wage & Benefit Hikes and Employer-Paid Health Care For All

WASHINGTON, DC--D.C. City Council Members and clergy joined with Local 32BJ today to announce agreements with the four top private security contractors in Washington D.C. on 4-year contracts providing nearly 1,500 private security officers with the higher wages, health care and other benefits they need to support their families. 

"The historic contract provides significant wage gains to help these brave men and women better support their families and their communities,"said Valarie Long, Local 32BJ Vice President. "Furthermore, raising standards in the security industry translates into safer tenants, safer buildings and a safer city."

The contracts with Admiral Security, AlliedBarton, Guardsmark, and Securitas raise industry standards at three-quarters of the commercial office buildings in Washington, D.C, including buildings at Gallery Place, the Watergate Offices, the National Press Building, the National Geographic Building, NPR Headquarters, Market Square, International Square and Columbia Square.  Admiral is a major DC-area security contractor, while Allied-Barton, Guardsmark, and Securitas are top national contractors.  "The contracts transform dead-end security jobs into careers that can support working families,"said Mike Fishman, Local 32BJ President. "Improving wages and benefits means providing a more professional and stable level of protection and service to tenants throughout the city."

Under the contracts, which went into effect on April 9, 2008, officers will earn a minimum wage of $12.40 per hour or receive a raise of at least 50 cents per hour.  Average wages and benefits will increase by 30%, while some officers will earn as much as $4.00 more per hour.  For the first time, all full-time officers will receive employer-paid quality health care and part-time officers and their families will receive employer-paid ancillary benefits for prescription drugs, dental, vision, and life insurance. 

"This pay raise will help me make a better life for my children,"said Raquel Mack, an AlliedBarton officer. "I can finally afford to buy medicine when I get sick."Under the new agreement, full-time officers also have seven personal/sick days.

"By requiring fair wages, we are taking an important step to address our City's staggering poverty rate,"said Council Member Phil Mendelson, the lead sponsor of the recently passed Enhanced Professional Security Amendment Act that sets the minimum wage and fringe benefit level for security officers protecting office buildings in Washington D.C. at $14.67 per hour. This rate is due to increase annually.

"Local 32BJ's campaign is enabling our city's hard working security officers to make the wages they need to support a family and to give back to the community," said Reverend Raymond Bell, First Zion Baptist Church.

With more than 100,000 members in six states, including 10,000 in the D.C. Metropolitan Area, Local 32BJ is the largest property service workers union in the country.

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