Communities Rally Behind Officers
Community activists, allies, and faith leaders in Roxbury and Quincy joined
security officers in the call for good jobs. In Roxbury, security officers who work at Northeastern University and Roxbury Community College packed the offices of Project Hip-Hop in Dudley Square.
In Quincy, faith leaders mobilized their congregants to listen and participate in an ongoing campaign to win a first contract for security officers who work outside of Boston. Pastor Nathan Pipho, of Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church, told the audience that it was about a basic matter of fairness: “We believe that it is fair that an officer works 40 hours a week, and that that should be enough to pay the bills and support a family.”
Together with our community and faith allies, we can win goods jobs and respect for all working families!
“I believe you should be able to live
in the
same neighborhood
where you work.”
—Claire Lewis, Allied Barton Officer telling the crowd
at Roxbury meeting why she is fighting for a Union.
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Update on bargaining progress with Securitas
Following the higher ed assembly on August 6th, about 25 security officers discussed progress in the talks with Securitas. Bargaining committee members John Carbone and Deirdre Watson described the six meetings that have been held thus far. One of the demands is to move the expiration date to September 23rd to align the date with other contracts and so that students will be back on campus. The bargaining committee is also working to remove ambiguous language. Every article is being reviewed and where necessary rewritten. Other issues under discussion include layoff policies, improved safety conditions, vacation policies, medical leave, parity and inclusion in the Harvard Tuition Assistance Plan.
Deirdre closed the meeting by stating that “we’re a team — we’re a union — and we need to get united to win an equitable, fair contract that meets our needs.”
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