They safeguard the city’s buildings but many of New York’s security officers working in the private sector say they’re underpaid and lack adequate healthcare coverage. And now they’re speaking up.

Negotiations began six weeks ago between the union, SEIU 32BJ, and the Realty Advisory Board – which represents the interests of commercial building owners, along with AlliedBarton and Securitas/Burns – two national security contractors – but the two parties don’t appear to be closing in on agreement. Since May 15 security officers have been working more than one year without a pay increase.

A rally, organized by Local 32BJ, was held in midtown earlier this month. The demonstration brought out security officers, Rev. Johnny Ray Youngblood, local officials and SEIU president Andy Stern – who all called for improved contracts.

“For too long, security officers have been left behind as the owners of the Wall Street buildings they protect enjoy record profits,” said Stern. “We need justice for all people who work hard to keep New York City safe and its economy strong.”

According to Local 32BJ executive vice president Kevin Doyle, the average wage of a unionized officer is $12 per hour and for non-union security officers well under $10 (approximately 50% less than unionized cleaners working in those commercial properties). Others claim to be working without healthcare coverage.

“We protect buildings worth billions of dollars, but are paid peanuts for our hard work,” said non-union security officer Ivan Shelly in a statement. “Even working overtime, I struggle to make ends meet and after nearly 15 years doing security work, I still don’t have healthcare.”

Doyle said 32BJ is fighting for more than just wages that keep pace with cost of living increases: their goal is to negotiate contracts that “support a middle class existence in New York City.” They also aim to provide additional training beyond the state minimum. These initiatives are aimed at elevating the “status” of the professional and combating high turnover in the industry.

“We’re also seeking to establish – for the first time – a pension and retirement benefit,” Doyle noted.

RAB contracts cover 4,000 security officers; Doyle estimates that close to 50% of New York commercial security officers are unionized. When asked whether the union has considered striking, Doyle said, “We’re going to have to seriously evaluate that.”
James Berg, president of the Realty Advisory Board, said talks –which have remained “cordial” – continue to progress. He hopes to reach an acceptable agreement soon for the estimated 2,000 security officers represented. But Berg also noted that wages in New York are well above national averages.

“They stack up reasonably well under our agreement,” Berg said. “Their wages are competitive.”

RAB and 32BJ also butt heads late last year as the two parties negotiated contracts for commercial property service workers. With mounting fears of a strike, the RAB and the union reached an agreement for a $6.8 billion four-year contract just two days before the previous one was set to expire. The new terms included 16% wage increase, bringing hourly pay from $19.50 to $22.65 by the fourth year, marking the highest property worker wage in the country. The contract also stipulated a 40% increase in employer’s annual contribution of pension benefits.

Earlier this month, the city’s window cleaners agreed to a four-year contract that includes wage increases, employer paid healthcare and upgraded pension benefits. The contract put to rest months of negotiations between the Realty Advisory Board and 500 commercial office building window cleaners.

The terms state that cleaners will receive an 80 cents per hour pay increase in each of the first two years, followed by an 85 cent per hour raise in the third year, and a 90 cent increase during the final year of the contract – a 15% increase over the four-year period. The contracts also include a 38% increase in scaffold pay and demands that employers begin contributing to the Local 32B’s 401(k) plan in 2010.

New contracts increasing wages for security officers were recently signed in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco and Minneapolis. In Washington, D.C. 32BJ recently helped negotiate the city’s first union contracts for security officers, beefing up wages and benefits by 30% and mandating paid healthcare to full-time officers.

New Based security officers hope to build on that momentum, but for landlords it will mean yet another burgeoning expense in a year of high-cost operations.

Berg said the RAB has executed a contract extension through May 28.