How Much is Security Worth?

The Service Employees International Union (SEIU) has announced a campaign, called “Five Days of Freedom,” to organize thousands of security officers in Los Angeles. The move is aimed at getting better wages for Los Angeles’ security officers, 70% of whom also happen to be African-American and often live in L.A.’s poorest communities. The union estimates that if security officers earned what unionized janitors in the county make, which is at least $12 an hour plus healthcare, it would mean $100 million flowing into South L.A., where many security officers live, alone.

Over a two week period, organizers are trying to gather about 3500 signatures, or more than half of all the working security officers in the county. The signatures take the place of having a formal vote on unionizing. The union is also trying to organize security officers in other American cities, including Washington, D.C.

Getting decent wages for security guards is also a good policy in post-9/11 U.S., where private security guards can be responsible for protecting critical infrastructure like nuclear power plants and oil refineries. According to a Congressional Research Service report, in 2003 security guards provided by contractors were paid on average $19,400 a year, which is well below the average salary for all occupations in the country.

Given how important the job is and that low pay in the industry has been linked to poor job performance and high turn-over, it maybe, just maybe, might be a good idea to get these men and women a reasonable paycheck. Making minimum wage certainly doesn’t seem commensurate with the responsibility of providing security, whether it’s protecting a potential terrorist target, deterring thieves from setting their sights on multi-million dollar office buildings, or keeping sketchy characters from bothering residents in an apartment building. For a country obsessed with safety, we sure don’t seem to be putting our money where our mouth is.

For more information:
SEIU
L.A. Times
CRS report