14k California Security Guards Strike Over Low Pay, Benefits

Nearly 14,000 union security officers across California began striking on Friday morning in a labor dispute over pay, benefits, training, and alleged unfair labor practices.

The workers, represented by SEIU United Service Workers West, provide security at facilities connected to companies including Amazon, Microsoft, Salesforce, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Nvidia, Cisco, and Netflix, as well as retailers, hospitals, and transit hubs.

The union says workers are seeking better pay, retirement benefits, health care, and improved training. According to the union, several large security contractors offered workers a $0.65 raise over the next two years.

A striking security guard who works in San Francisco said workers put their lives on the line as part of their jobs but feel they are being disrespected. 'We're guarding multibillion buildings, and we're getting, like, a small fraction of what we believe we deserve to get paid,' Max Garibay said.

The strike comes as security concerns around some Bay Area technology companies have intensified. In April, security confronted a man accused of attacking OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's San Francisco home.