Shortchanging Our Security

New York City’s 63,000 private security guards provide the first line of defense for tenants and visitors in office buildings as well as retail stores, schools, and religious institutions. Given the significance of their responsibilities, the public might take it for granted that the firms supplying security guard services provide workers with an adequate wage, benefits such as healthcare, and sufficient training to competently respond to emergencies. For the most part, this is not the case, according to a new report produced by the Community Service Society and commissioned by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 32BJ.

The report is called Shortchanging Security (PDF) because both the guards and the public are ill-served by many contracted security firms. The report utilizes data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Census, and includes feedback from five focus groups of security guards describing their work environment and training.

Almost 95 percent of the security guard workforce is non-union. Over eight in ten are male and mostly men of color. A majority (56 percent) are African-American. Another 21 percent are Hispanic. Over a quarter of the city’s guards have not completed high school, though more than a third have attended some college or hold four-year degrees.

Most security guards are poorly paid. The median hourly wage for guards in the New York City area is $10.14, only 55 percent of the median for all workers in the metropolitan area, $18.39. Few guards receive benefits on the job. Most non-union guards labor without a single day of paid sick leave. Given their economic situation, this means they have no choice but to come to work sick.

Training a Farce

The training guards receive is minimal. Required guard training is limited to 16 hours on-the-job training and an eight-hour annual course. But some firms do not even provide their workers with this minimum mandated by New York State law. In some cases, “training” proved to be a farce, with guards receiving certificates of completion just for showing up and paying a fee. These non-union guards provide security at many of New York City’s most famous landmark buildings, such as the Empire State Building, considered a prime terrorist target.

Imagine if you are in a large office building and you’re having a heart attack, or a fire breaks out, or you’re stuck in an elevator. Would you want to depend on a security guard who is virtually untrained, someone without health insurance, who may have come to work sick? Is this the person you want as a lifeline?

Non-union guards not only described the training they received as minimal or non-existent. They reported that supervisors often blamed frontline workers for security lapses, contributing to a sense of fear for their job security. Lack of training and lack of support, they told us, undermined their ability to serve the public.

The result is a workforce with low morale and high turnover. And because they are being shortchanged, so is public safety.

These guards are part of the city’s working poor. They live from pay check to pay check. They cannot afford the health care they need. Yet, they often earn too much to qualify for public benefits such as Food Stamps or Medicaid.

In sharp contrast to non-union guards, members of Local 32BJ reported that their wages, health benefits, and pensions were sufficient to give them a sense that they could support their families. They received adequate training and enjoyed sufficient job security to allow them to approach their work with confidence and professionalism.

An occupation that
should be valued

The implications for the public are obvious. We need guards who are paid enough to care about their jobs and are trained to handle challenging situations. When people have a stake in their work, they are motivated to do it well. It is essential, post 9/11, that the city is perceived as a safe environment.

This is an occupation that should be valued. We need better supports for those protecting us. Also, the security industry could become a source of good jobs for New Yorkers who lack a college degree, a critical need in our “post-industrial” city. These jobs cannot be easily outsourced overseas. They would help to fill a significant gap in the city, particularly for less educated men of color who today experience high rates of unemployment. The existence of living wage jobs in the unionized sector demonstrates that this is an achievable goal.

Hearings Planned

State Assemblyman Joseph Lentol of Brooklyn, Chair of the Committee on Codes, plans to hold hearings to investigate poor working conditions and slipshod training practices. Legislation mandating a family-sustaining wage for guards and enforcement of training requirements are urgently needed. Having experienced 9/11, the people of New York City deserve nothing less than the best security possible.

From the New York Amsterdam News
June 1 - 7, 2006