PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia security workers held a rally Monday afternoon at Temple University, demanding better pay from their employer.
32BJ SEIU represents more than 3,000 security officers in Philly, mostly Black and brown employees, who say they want Allied Universal to pay them a living wage and for their work sites — Temple, University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University — to advocate for their demands. They also want training on CPR, de-escalation, emergency response and mental health awareness.
Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, who spoke at the rally, introduced legislation in June to require employers to provide security training for officers.
“Nobody's asking to be rich. And nobody's asking for a handout. It's all people want is their fair share,” he said.
Union members have been bargaining with Allied since late July. Their contract with Allied expired on Sept. 30.
Tyrone Patterson, who has been in the union for 21 years, believes more needs to be done, especially with next year’s Semiquincentennial celebrations drawing in lots of visitors, as the job can be demanding and dangerous.
The union conducted a survey of more than 500 Philadelphia security officers and found that more than half of the security officers have skipped meals or cut back on groceries; two-in-five pay rent or mortgage late or can’t pay it at all; and more than one-in-four have delayed or gone without necessary medical care.
“We have to work two or three jobs to have food in our fridge, or even to have a fridge to put food in,” said Temple Security Officer Daquan Gardner. “We are tired of being told we are appreciated and loved by Allied Universal with a pizza party or a handshake. Working at Temple, we deal with guns, knives, drugs, people literally shooting each other, and shooting up around us. We are paid like pocket change protectors but asked to put our lives on the line in communities that we can’t even afford to live in.”
Former Mayor John Street spoke on behalf of his son, Sen. Sharif Street. He said he Googled the pay of fast food workers beforehand, and saw that some of them make more than security workers.
“That's pathetic. That is absolutely pathetic, and our lives depend on your ability to do the work that you do, and we pay you less than we pay people to hand out hamburgers.”
Daisy Cruz, the district director for 32BJ SEIU, said Allied Universal’s profit margin has increased because of the workers.
“We don't wanna pull nobody on strike, but these officers are tired, and enough is enough. Allied can do it. Allied has the money. Allied can pay these officers,” Cruz said.
32BJ SEIU is the largest property service workers’ union in the country, with more than 185,000 members in 12 states, including 20,000 in Pennsylvania.
The union says it is “fully prepared to authorize a strike” if conditions do not significantly improve.
KYW reached out to Allied Universal for comment on negotiations and is awaiting a response.