A contract covering roughly 20,000 security guards in Service Employees International Union, Local 32BJ (SEIU 32BJ) expired at midnight on May 1 as members called on employers to retain their healthcare, increase their retirement benefits, raise their wages, and recognize Juneteenth as an official paid holiday.
Sitting across the negotiating table is the Realty Advisory Board on Labor Relations (RAB), as well as several private companies including Allied Universal that directly employ union members. They enlist SEIU 32BJ security guards to protect landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center and the 9/11 Memorial, along with local college campuses and shelters for the unhoused at a time when the city is experiencing mass student demonstrations and an influx of asylum seekers bused in from the southern border.
The Juneteenth demand stands out as critical for what Tammy Murray—the Stockholm Family Shelter’s security supervisor and union shop steward—calls an “overwhelmingly” Black and brown workforce. Being off on the federal holiday commemorating the country’s second independence day and freedom to enslaved peoples may feel particularly relevant for the legions of Black New Yorkers covered by a new contract.
“Everybody else has a holiday where they get paid but us,” said Murray. “It is the only holiday that we actually asked for, that we want in the contract. Because it means something to us. That’s our independence day.”
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) lent her support to the union while also advocating for the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, better known as the PRO Act, to strengthen organized labor across the country.
“I am honored to stand with members of 32BJ SEIU,” said Sen. Gillibrand in a statement. “Anyone who has lived in NYC knows how critical security officers are to the safety of our communities. I want to thank these essential workers for their tireless work to keep our communities safe and for standing up for workers’ rights.”
NYC Comptroller Brad Lander also advocated for the union members’ demands.
“From New York’s most iconic buildings to our city’s shelters, 32BJ security officers are always there keeping us safe and serving New Yorkers,” he said. “As essential workers, they showed up for us throughout the pandemic and are now guaranteeing safe and secure places for asylum seekers to rest. I proudly stand with these workers because they deserve a fair contract that includes family sustaining wages, healthcare, and [the] ability to retire with dignity.”
There is currently little movement in the negotiations as of press time according to a SEIU 32BJ spokesperson. But the RAB is confident both sides will work things out. 1,300 SEIU 32BJ security guards are covered by the RAB contract.
“We have a great relationship with the union that has resulted in more than 30 years of uninterrupted labor peace,” said Robert Schwartz, RAB’s executive vice president in a statement. “We are looking to schedule additional negotiating sessions in the days ahead in the hope of reaching a fair agreement.”
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member and writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.