It was billed as a rally to unionize tens of thousands of security guards, but it had more of the air of a civil rights gathering.þþHazel Dukes, the president of the New York State N.A.A.C.P., was there, and so was David N. Dinkins, the former mayor. Joined by other black leaders and members of the clergy, they threw their weight behind a campaign to unionize New York City's security guards.þþNoting that many guards are black and earn less than $18,000 a year, these leaders said unionization would further the dream of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to lift blacks out of poverty.þþÿThey risk their lives to protect multimillion-dollar buildings, yet they have to struggle to feed their families,ÿ Mr. Dinkins said. ÿMany have had to take second jobs and apply for public assistance to make ends meet. They're not asking for a handout. They just want to earn their way.ÿþþAt yesterday's rally at the City University Graduate Center, the union behind the organizing drive, Local 32BJ of the Service Employees International Union, sought to show the real estate industry that there was strong community support for improving the guards' wages and benefits.þþAfter the rally, several black leaders walked to the Real Estate Board of New York to drop off a letter saying that many guards receive inadequate training and that real estate companies should pressure their contractors to provide better wages and training.þþÿNew York's real estate industry is the wealthiest in the world,ÿ the group wrote. ÿThe MetLife building just sold for $1.7 billion, yet the security officers who guard the property don't make enough to support their families.ÿþþMany real estate companies and private security firms have opposed the unionization effort, fearing that it will push up costs and hurt profits.þþSteven Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board, said: ÿThe overwhelming majority of my members use contractors who provide decent wages and benefits. We think they treat their workers well.ÿþþMr. Spinola said that security guards made an average of more than $10 an hour. Most of the more than 50,000 janitors, doormen and other building-service workers represented by Local 32BJ earn about $20 an hour.þþCriticizing officials from Local 32BJ, Mr. Spinola said, ÿIt seems they want to do a public event to create some public pressure when the real process is to go out and organize.ÿþþDisputing one of the arguments of the union and black leaders, Mr. Spinola said, ÿThe security guards are extremely well trained in our office buildings.ÿþþKevin Doyle, executive vice president of Local 32BJ, said the real estate industry had been an obstacle to efforts to unionize and improve wages and training. ÿEvery step of the way, they are moving in the opposite direction,ÿ he said.þþJoseph Wilson, a security guard at the Empire State Building, said unionization would improve wages for guards and security for New Yorkers. He said that the security contractor at the Empire State Building provides such inferior pay and benefits that there was tremendous turnover among guards and that as a result, many have little experience or expertise.þþÿThe pay of $9 in that building is ridiculous when you realize that it's one of the landmarks of the city and we have to take care of tourists and do searches and the level of security there,ÿ Mr. Wilson said. ÿThe security contractor isn't giving us what we deserve. We get paid half what the janitors are paid at the Empire State Building.ÿþþHis employer, Copstat Security, did not return calls requesting comment.þþRepresentative Charles B. Rangel lent his support, but ended up not attending the rally, which attracted 150 people, including the leaders of Acorn and the Community Service Society, union officials and dozens of security guards.þþJames Barnes, a security guard at a Madison Avenue office building, said: ÿThe bad thing is that even after 9/11, we haven't gotten the training we need. And we haven't had a raise in four years.ÿþþHe said he had to work a second job, delivering newspapers from 3 to 7 a.m. He complained that his security company did not provide paid sick days or affordable health coverage.þþÿSecurity guards are often the first line of defense, even before the N.Y.P.D. and Fire Department,ÿ said Shelia Frazier, a security guard at a hospital in the Bronx. ÿBut we start at $7.50 an hour on my job site. I don't know how my co-workers can make it on that.ÿþþ
Source: NY Times
