1700 New Jersey Security Officers Win New Contract; Will Get Raises To $14
New Jersey Sept 23 2017 Nearly 1,700 security officers with 32BJ SEIU New Jersey have agreed to a new, four-year agreement with some of the state’s largest security contractors, including companies in Union, Hudson, Essex, Bergen, Mercer, Middlesex and Passaic counties, the labor organization announced Thursday.
According to a statement from 32BJ, the new contract includes fair wage increases, more paid time off and “language improvements” to address workplace issues. In addition to a minimum wage raise from $11 to $13.75, workers will also get Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a paid holiday.
By the end of the new contract, which expires in 2021, the security officers will earn a median wage of more than $14 per hour. The agreement also maintains current employer-paid healthcare and improves working conditions and job protections, union spokespeople stated.
The companies who participated in the agreement include:
Allied Universal Security Services
Command Security
G4S Secure Solutions
Securitas Security Services Inc.
Gateway Group One Security
Guardian Service Industries
Harvard Protection Services
Iss Facilities Services, Inc.
SOS Security LLC
Spartan Security
Summit Security
Roman
“The raises help us take care of our families and pay our bills without having to work crazy amounts of overtime or even find secondary jobs,” said Tania Capobianco, a member of 32BJ SEIU’s bargaining committee in New Jersey, who works at a data center in Weehawken.
“The additional paid time off reassures us that we can take time off for our own care and for the care of our family without being stressed out,” Capobianco said.
The victory for security officers is part of an ongoing fight for a $15 minimum wage in the region, union leaders stated.
The new contract, which has not yet been ratified, includes a 25-cent minimum above minimum wage guarantee if a $15 minimum wage becomes law, 32BJ stated.
