Underpaid Workers Win First-Ever Citywide Union Contract...And New Hope for a Better Life

Philadelphia--Coming on the heels of the defeat of the "1%" in November's election, strikes by Wal-Mart workers across the country, and work stoppages by fast food workers in
New York City, some 2,500 underpaid security officers in Philadelphia have ratified
their first-ever citywide union contract, scoring what could prove to be an
important victory in the ongoing national battle for economic fairness.

As a security officer, I protect staff, patients and visitors at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For the past 8 years I've worked for the same private security company. I started out making 8 dollars an hour; and now even after 8 years I only make $10 an hour.

I am organizing with my co-workers to bring respect and accountability to my job. I feel the culture in the security industry needs to change so that management starts to value loyalty, commitment, and hard work.

This isn't just about the money, it's about respect for what I do.

I work as a security officer for a private security company protecting Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. My starting salary with this company was about $9.15 an hour, and now after 6 years I still only make $9.50 an hour.

There are many reasons why I am organizing with my co-workers but the one that is most important to me is affordable health insurance for myself and my family. I am a single mother of 3. I have 2 sons and a daughter, and I'm a grandmother of a 4 year old boy and a 6 month old baby. My 17 year old son is always asking me to get health insurance because he needs to see the doctor. Right now, this is not an option due to my low wages and the too-high cost of the insurance provided by my employer.

At a rally held in Philadelphia on Martin Luther King Day, elected leaders and community members joined security officers to kick off a new effort to improve standards in Philadelphia's security industry. More than 300 supporters gathered to discuss how better security jobs and greater public safety can help communities struggling in a poor economy.

"As a matter of public safety, security officers who protect thousands of working Philadelphians and college students should have the necessary training to do their work effectively," said Pennsylvania Congressman Chaka Fattah. "Providing these brave men and women with family-sustaining wages is a good business practice that reduces job turnover and keeps officers off costly public programs."