The union representing Penn’s security officers is threatening to strike if Allied Universal, the University’s security contractor, does not move forward with a new contract proposal.
Service Employees International Union 32BJ — the largest property services workers’ union in the country, which represents over 3,000 security officers in Philadelphia — alleged that "Allied Universal and its clients" have refused to negotiate a “fair contract.” Penn has contracted security through Allied Universal since 1996, according to the company's website.
On Monday, members of SEIU 32BJ plan to rally across Philadelphia — including at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center — culminating in a 3:30 p.m. press conference on Temple University’s main campus. The union wrote in an Oct. 26 press release that it was prepared to "authorize a strike” if a contract with “livable wages” is not negotiated “immediately.”
Allied Universal — the world’s largest security contractor and the third largest private employer in North America — reported more than $20 billion in annual revenue last year.
A request for comment was left with a University spokesperson and Allied Universal.
According to SEIU 32BJ, Allied Universal’s proposed contract for Philadelphia workers included raises of less than $1 per hour each year — keeping many workers’ wages near $16.25 an hour. The cost of living in Philadelphia, by contrast, is estimated to be $23.26 per hour for a single adult, according to a study that was cited by the union in their press release.
“Allied Universal’s current contract proposal is an insult to the workers who put their lives on the line for them everyday,” 32BJ SEIU District Director Daisy Cruz wrote in a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian. “To be clear we have been at the bargaining table for months, and Allied Universal has not come with a contract that would give our officers a living wage, and that is unacceptable.”
In its press release, the union also cited a survey it conducted of more than 500 Philadelphia security officers, where more than half of the respondents reported skipping meals due to working conditions, while two in five officers struggled to pay rent.
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“We have to work two or three jobs to have food in our fridge, or even to have a fridge to put food in,” Temple Security Officer Daquan Gardner said in the union’s press release. “We are tired of being told we are appreciated and loved by Allied Universal with a pizza party or a handshake.”
The union’s push comes amid a City Council proposal to mandate minimum training standards for private-security workers citywide — covering necessary skills from CPR to mental health recognition. Allied Universal officers said those trainings are critical for a workforce that must constantly respond to diverse medical and safety emergencies.
In the union’s press release, Allied Universal security officer Beverly Thorpe said that officers specifically “need training on conflict resolution and assisting people with mental health issues.”
“I had an incident where a woman overdosed in the bathroom,” Thorpe said in the press release. “I had to go underneath the stall to get to her and try and help her. We need better training; we can’t save people if we aren’t shown how. We are the first responders in these situations, and we all deserve proper training to handle them.”
Heightened tourism levels are also expected in 2026, when Philadelphia will host FIFA World Cup matches and the Professional Golfers' Association Championship, among other events, increasing the likelihood that security officers will need to respond to more incidents and emergencies. SEIU 32BJ cited these events as reasons for additional security and public safety measures.
SEIU 32BJ previously filed a complaint in 2019 against several Philadelphia institutions — including Penn and the University of Pennsylvania Health System — for similar wage-related reasons.
