At the end of this April, the four-year employment contracts of security personnel in commercial buildings will need to be renewed. Representing nearly twenty thousand current security personnel, the New York City labor union 32BJ SEIU gathered over five hundred union members on April 25 in the final week of negotiations. They held a demonstration outside Bryant Park in Manhattan, demanding employers provide reasonable contracts, including full coverage of security guards’ medical insurance costs.
In a statement, Israel Melendez, the vice president of 32BJ SEIU, mentioned that security guards have been on duty during the COVID-19 pandemic and the city’s recovery afterward, up to the present. Many security guards rely on this income to pay rent or support their families, a situation that needs to change.
The security personnel’s employment contracts are set to expire on April 30. According to the demands put forth by 32BJ SEIU, the new contract offered by employers should include salary increases, full coverage of security guards’ medical insurance and training benefits, paid leave for Juneteenth, improved retirement conditions, and better working conditions.
Mirna Ruperto, a 63-year-old union member, has been in the security industry for 19 years. Currently, she works as a security guard at One Manhattan Plaza on Liberty Street in the Financial District of Manhattan. In an interview, Ruperto stated that as frontline security personnel, their duty is to protect the city and ensure a sense of safety for people at work. Security guards deserve better contracts.