On June 27^th and 28^th, a contingent of security officers representing nearly 50,000 security officers nationwide, will be meeting in San Francisco to ratify national standards for bargaining. Seattle/Bellevue’s 650+ security officers are not standing alone in our fight to win wage increases, health care, and other benefits that will raise standards in our industry.

 

Following this event, we will be circulating a petition to demonstrate our support for national standards for security. Show your brothers and sisters in Seattle/Bellevue and across the country that you are standing for security. Contact your bargaining team member or union representative to get a copy of the petition. Better yet, participate in our June 29^th action and take a copy back to your site.

 

Our bargaining team, representing over 650 security officers in Seattle and Bellevue, has been negotiating with our employers—Allied/Barton, Securitas, ABM, and Northwest Protective—to achieve real wins for all of us. Agreement is being reached on important issues such as seniority, shop-steward protection, probationary period, and a procedure to resolve worksite and disciplinary issues within a specific time frame.

 

Soon we will be addressing economic issues such as wages, health care, vacation, holidays, and sick pay. Our bargaining team can’t do it alone—real gains require real participation from YOU.

 

What about the 36% of security officers in Seattle and Bellevue who are not represented at the bargaining table? On June 9^th, at a campaign committee meeting of security officers from all four union companies, David Miles, ABM Officer and Bargaining Team Member, said, “We have an obligation to ourselves, our co-workers, and our city, to protect our industry. It is critical that nonunion companies get on board. We have a moral obligation to make sure no security officer in Seattle or Bellevue is left out of the process to improve our lives and better protect our communities.”

 

 

We are working hard to represent your interests at the bargaining table, but we need to know you are behind us. Opportunities to participate abound—mark you calendar and join the fight!

 

Friday, June 29^th, 11:00 a.m. – Meet at SEIU Local 6 office for carpooling to rally in downtown Seattle.

 

We’ll see you there!

YOUR BARGAINING TEAM

 

David Miles, ABM

Heath Manley, Allied/Barton

John Schroeder, Allied/Barton

Tim Allen, Northwest Protective

Joe Minerich, Northwest Protective

Cheryl Nelson, Securitas

Franklin Bullock, Securitas

 

Olympia, WA, May 2, 2007—Governor Gregoire signed into law the Security Training Act. Over the past two years, SEIU Local 6 security officers lobbied our state legislators to raise post-assignment training standards for Washington security officers. Although in 2006 the bill was opposed by industry management, a compromise bill that addressed the security officer’s key concerns is now the law in Washington state. Most importantly, security officers—through our union—will have a voice at the table when training curriculum is established. Congratulations to all security officers who participated in this monumental victory to have a voice in government policy that affects our jobs!