In a major step forward for Local 32BJ's city-wide campaign to organize private security officers, Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts welcomed Local 32BJ President Mike Fishman and Reverend Johnny Ray Youngblood to The Abyssinian Baptist Church for its annual commemoration of the life and work of Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.  This is the first time the union's security officer campaign is being brought to the attention of Abyssinian’s members.

“Honoring the legacy of Adam Clayton Powell means continuing his fight for social and economic justice,” said Mike Fishman, Local 32BJ President. “It is unfair that these men and women risk their lives protecting million dollar buildings, but don’t make enough to support their families.”

More than 60,000 men and women in New York, most of whom are African-American, work as private security officers.  Although they keep our city safe, many of them earn less than $10/hr, receive no affordable health care and little, if any, state-of-the-art security training.

“As leaders in this city in the fight for social and economic justice the support of Reverend Butts and Reverend Youngblood is vital to the success of our campaign,” Fishman added. 

"Local 32BJ's campaign to raise wage and living standards is about more than 60,000 security officers - it is about New York itself," said Reverend Calvin Butts. "The union's campaign is our community's campaign because it represents a unified call-to-action to pay men and women not only what they deserve, but what they need, to support their families – regardless of color."

Labor and African-American leaders have a long history of working together -- including organizing campaigns led by Dr. Martin Luther King on behalf of sanitation workers and by Adam Clayton Powell on behalf of pharmacists in Harlem.

"Nothing is more important in the union's security officer campaign than fighting for respect," said Rev. Youngblood. "Armed with respect for ourselves and from the community, and empowered with hard-earned respect from employers, we will win this fight for economic and social justice."

Thursday evening’s event took on added significance because the union's campaign has been gaining momentum, and now represents more than 6,000 security officers in New York -- double the number from just a few years ago. With new campaigns visible at Jet Blue and Fordham University which both use Summit, a low-wage security contractor, the campaign has picked up steam in recent months.

With more than 85,000 members, including 60,000 in New York, Local 32BJ is the largest private sector union in New York and the largest property service union in the country.