A Fight for Dignity: Security Officers Challenge the Poverty-Wage Economy

Last week, a day before the solemn commemoration of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor building near downtown Los Angeles became the setting for a multiracial movement confronting poverty, economic inequality, militarism and concentrated political power — the kind of movement Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned toward the end of his life.

That vision has particular resonance for communities that experienced the post-9/11 crackdown, when Muslim Americans, Sikhs, and Arab and Persian Americans were rounded up, detained, interrogated, and subjected to surveillance. Today, immigrant communities — documented and undocumented — say they are again living under heightened fear as federal immigration enforcement detains people on the streets and removes them from the country.

Against that backdrop, SEIU United Service Workers West (SEIU-USWW) security officers are engaged in contract negotiations with Allied Universal Security, Securitas and other security companies. The union says employers initially offered a 25-cent increase in 2027, with no additional increases for the following three years. With the cost of housing, food, healthcare and other necessities rising, union leaders and supporters say the negotiations could set a precedent for other workers facing similar pressures.

Anton Farmer, secretary-treasurer of SEIU-USWW, who emceed the press conference, emphasized the role security officers have played as first responders, particularly following the Sept. 11 attacks.

Security officers are often the people who know a building best — its layout, protocols and emergency procedures — making them among the first people law enforcement and firefighters encounter during a crisis. Farmer said the sacrifices of security officers demonstrated the need to recognize them as first responders and provide the training, equipment and compensation necessary to respond when lives are at risk.

He connected that history to the current contract fight, arguing that security officers increasingly confront emergencies, protect the public and assist other first responders while putting their own safety at risk.

Pastor William Smart, president and CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Southern California, connected the officers’ struggle to the broader fight for economic and racial justice. Reflecting on his involvement in the union’s organizing efforts dating to 2006, Smart said workers deserve the wages they have earned.

Framing the campaign as a moral issue, Smart called on employers to act with justice toward their workers. Drawing on biblical teachings, he argued that faith must be accompanied by action, particularly when workers struggle to afford basic necessities. He pledged the support of the faith community in the fight for a fair contract.

Khalil Hudson, advocacy manager for the Council on American-Islamic Relations Los Angeles, said his organization supports security officers because they routinely confront dangerous situations while others move away from them.

Hudson cited the May 18 killing of security officer Amin Abdullah at the Islamic Center of San Diego. Police credited Abdullah with delaying the attackers, initiating lockdown procedures, and helping protect children inside the center before he was killed. 

Hudson said the incident underscored the risks security officers face and argued that their value cannot be separated from their compensation. He cited an annual wage of about $42,000 and contrasted it with the rising cost of living in Los Angeles. Drawing on his grandfather’s experience as a Teamsters member, Hudson said union wages once enabled a worker with only a third-grade education to buy a home and support his family.

Yvonne Wheeler, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, said the federation stands behind the 14,000 SEIU-USWW security officers seeking a fair contract. She described them as essential workers who protect workplaces, hospitals, technology campuses, entertainment facilities and transit systems.

Wheeler criticized the proposed 25-cent increase, saying it fails to account for rising housing, food and healthcare costs. She said officers deserve fair wages, quality healthcare, meaningful benefits, proper training and adequate equipment. She also said the federation had unanimously sanctioned a strike in support of the workers.

State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas, D-Los Angeles, credited SEIU-USWW members with helping secure passage of SB 1203, which establishes additional state-mandated training standards for security officers. She said workers organized, contacted lawmakers and pressed their demands despite opposition during the legislative process.

Smallwood-Cuevas said officers routinely encounter mental health and substance-use crises and other dangerous situations, making comprehensive training essential. She described the workforce as predominantly Black and Latino and said officers deserve training that protects themselves, their families and the public.

David Huerta, president of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, said the broader labor movement stands with the 14,000 security officers. He pointed to the risks officers face while protecting technology and biotech campuses, commercial buildings, hospitals, entertainment studios and transit hubs.

Huerta characterized the employers’ reported 25-cent offer as inadequate and said workers should not be expected to accept poverty wages, insufficient healthcare and retirement benefits, or inadequate training and workplace protections simply for having a job.

For Huerta and the other speakers, the contract fight is about more than wages. It is about recognizing security officers as essential workers and addressing the racial and economic inequalities that shape their working lives. The union says it is prepared to escalate the campaign, including through a strike, if negotiations fail.