Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Leaders, Call For City’s Real Estate Giants To End Double Standards That Keep Security Officers In Poverty Now

Rev. Jackson, Local Clergy, Meet With Security Officers' Families In South L.A.

Reverend Jesse Jackson and local African American clergy met with private security officers and their families to pledge their support for a possible first-ever strike of security officers in Los Angeles. Rev. Jackson and members of the Stand For Security Coalition will call on the city’s real estate giants to stop the double standards that keep security officers in poverty.

Building owners have agreed to compensate building engineers, janitors, parking attendants, and other service workers with decent wages and family health care; only security officers are being left behind.

“The real estate industry’s double standards must stop now,” said Rev. Jackson, who helped security officers launch their campaign for a first-ever contract more than five years ago. “Five years later to still be struggling just to make ends meet is five years too long. I am committed to see security officers and their families win the necessities that they deserve, like living wages and affordable health care.”

SEIU security officers have been bargaining with the top five private security companies in Los Angeles since July 2007, but they have not been able to reach agreement. Right now security officers earn $6/hour less than union janitors, with no access to affordable, quality health care, paid sick days, paid holidays, pension, and other benefits. Nearly 70 percent of security officers in L.A. are African American and although they protect lives and multi-million dollar properties, they go home to L.A.’s most impoverished communities.

“I have to work three jobs to provide for my family, and I don’t want to go through another holiday season having to choose between paying the rent or buying medicine for my children,” said Michael Johnson, a security officer and father of five children.