The union representing Penn’s security officers held numerous rallies throughout Philadelphia on Monday, calling on Allied Universal Security Services — the University’s security contractor — to raise wages in their new contract proposal.
The demonstrations — which were organized by Service Employees International Union 32BJ across several locations in the city — come as workers prepare to strike against Allied Universal. According to a union spokesperson, around 200 individuals participated in the rallies across several Philadelphia locations.
Attendees were handed informational flyers with the union’s grievances and instructions for petitioning Allied Universal leadership to pay “essential workers what they deserve.”
“With wages as low as $16.25/hour, most of us struggle to afford even groceries and rent,” the flyer read. “The company we work for, Allied Universal, is refusing to pay us a livable wage.”
In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, a spokesperson for Allied Universal said the company has “good working relationships with unions around the country, including the SEIU.”
“We are engaged in good faith negotiations with the SEIU to renew the existing collective bargaining agreement in Philadelphia,” the Allied Universal spokesperson wrote.
In an interview with the DP, a Penn security guard — who requested anonymity due to fear of professional retaliation — said that many of the guards believe they should have increased compensation because of their consistent dedication to their jobs.
“We show up every day,” the Penn security guard said. “We show up tired, we show up sick, we show up confused, we show up belittled, we show up afraid, we show up every single day. So, I’m just asking that they would look at that and try to assist us the best way that they can, through our union.”
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32BJ SEIU recently conducted a survey of over 500 Philadelphia security officers to determine their quality of life based on their wages, according to a union press release.
According to the published findings of the union’s survey, more than half of the security officers reported having skipped meals or cut back on groceries. Two in five reported paying their rent or mortgage late or not able to pay at all, and over a quarter reported going without necessary medical care in order to save on expenses.
“Every guard deserves to be paid good benefits, good wages so they can live,” Allied Universal security guard Beverly Thorpe told the DP. “Guards have children to take care of, mouths to feed on that little wage. How [are] you gonna feed your kids with that little bit of wage?”
Allied Universal security guard Andre Dozier, who has been at the bargaining table with Allied Universal to discuss their proposal, expressed frustration at the company’s lack of transparency and unwillingness to negotiate a “livable wage” for security guards.
“When we ran the numbers, we found that Allied has way more than enough money to provide what the people want,” Dozier told the DP. “And that’s the part they don’t want us to do — showing the evidence of the truth and saying that this is a fair wage for us to receive.”
Earlier this month, Dozier helped to advocate and pass a bill in City Hall that would require employers to fund training for security guards. He said that security guards often encounter dangerous situations that require specialized training but are frequently forced to pay for it themselves.
“I have to pay out of pocket for additional training just so I can have the safety and the comfort of applying emergency care when it’s needed,” Dozier said. “I had to revive a 9-year-old boy that was blue. If I didn’t have the training and I wasn’t there at that moment, that little boy wouldn’t have made it.”
A spokesperson for City Council member Jamie Gauthier — who represents the district that houses Penn’s campus — wrote in a statement to the DP that she “stands with the unionized security guards who keep Philly safe.” Gauthier’s spokesperson further stated that she “urges employers to agree to a fair contract that includes the fair wages and working conditions security guards deserve.”
The anonymous Penn security guard echoed a similar sentiment regarding the importance of training for security guards.
“If you want us to protect and do the things that we need to do, then we need certain criteria to be able to do that. One is training,” the security guard said.
Eddie Kadhi, the communications spokesperson for the union, emphasized the role of security in protecting students and staff, including at hospitals.
“It can be very difficult,” Kadhi told the DP. “You see people on their worst days, with gunshot wounds, people coming for rehabilitation, all kinds of crazy things these officers are dealing with. [Allied Universal and the universities] think it’s okay to just offer pennies instead of dollars for these workers, and we’re saying it’s not.”
32BJ SEIU stressed that their concerns were with Allied Universal alone, and not other employers like Penn. The anonymous Penn security guard noted that Penn was “doing all that they can do,” emphasizing the University’s support from the inception of the union.
“Not only did [Penn] stand beside us, the students and staff stood beside us,” the security guard said. “I believe that they’re doing everything that they can do, and they’re in with us.”
The security guard emphasized the negative impact a strike and lack of security workers would have for the University community.
“We are the first responders to any situation before it can get to Penn police … or Philadelphia Police,” they said. “I believe that if we [were] to strike … It would hurt the staff, students, employees, and the officers.”
