California Security Guards Strike Over Pay, Benefits, Training

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

The striking workers are represented by SEIU United Service Workers West and work for contractors such as Allied Universal, Securitas, PalAmerican, GardaWorld, Prosegur, and others.

They provide security at facilities connected to major tech companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Salesforce, OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Nvidia, Cisco, and Netflix, as well as retailers, hospitals, and transit hubs.

The union is seeking better pay, retirement benefits, health care, and improved training for the workers. According to research from UC Berkeley, over two-thirds of Bay Area security guards are low-wage workers, earning a median pay of about $20 per hour, less than half of what a typical Bay Area worker earns.

SEIU-USWW First Vice President Sanjay Garla said talks remained stalled on Thursday, with the union seeking significant improvements to working conditions and compensation. He noted that the workers play a critical role in public safety, securing some of the wealthiest corporations in the world.