Security guards marched to Miami Beach City Hall on Friday in a staged protest against Security Alliance ~ Photo © 2009 Carlos Miller, NBC Miami
In January, about seventy-five percent of the Security Alliance guards signed cards to form a union with SEIU--but since that time, he and the 50 or so security guards employed by Security Alliance of Florida in the Miami Beach area had been experiencing intimidation, scare tactics and harassment at the hands of their employer for exercising their rights to organize. Ruiz was the only one out of his coworkers who was willing to speak about their efforts to form a union on the record.
His reward for having the courage to speak out for what he believes in? Losing his job. "We are trying to make this city safer for everybody, but I was fired when they found out I was speaking out and wanted a union," said Richard Ruiz, who was terminated after working for more than two years for Security Alliance. "Employers shouldn't stop decent people from trying to have a better life."
Why a union?
Security Alliance is a growing security firm with contracts with the City of Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County, but some of its security officers earn as little as $10 an hour and have no access to quality, affordable healthcare. Additionally, even though these guards are often first responders to the scene of the conflict, they receive insufficient training for their positions.
Ruiz told Riptide that company leaders at Security Alliance have interrogated employees about who supports the union and sent a memo to all of its Miami Beach guards that read, "We feel very strongly that you do not need a union." And Ruiz's job may not be the only one on the line, because a couple of weeks later, the guards were called to mandatory meetings and reminded that they are not irreplaceable. "[...] They've been threatening other workers to fire them as well," confirms 32BJ SEIU Florida Director and organizer Eric Brakken.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, 54 percent of employers threaten workers in mandatory one-on-one meetings; and more than a third illegally fire union supporters. But that doesn't make it acceptable--or even legal. The City of Miami Beach's security contractor has been charged with terminating a security officer for his union activities and intimidating workers, and 32BJ is working to pressure the city hall to seek out a new company for its security services in addition to filing the July 13 federal charge with the NLRB.
Miami Beach City Commissioner Jerry Libbin helps lead the way of the protest march down Lincoln Road. ~ Photo © 2009 Carlos Miller, NBC Miamii
On Friday, SEIU helped orchestrate a protest, with guards and activists marching through Lincoln Road before finishing at Miami Beach City Hall. The security guards have the support of Miami Beach City Commissioner Jerry Libbin, who also marched with the guards on Friday. Read more about Friday's march at MSNBC here.
If a majority of workers want a union, they should have one. But unfortunately, that's not how things end up working with the current lack of enforcement of labor law in this country. Far too often, workers' dreams of a living wage and a better quality of life are squashed because their employers deliberately delayed or interfered with their right to form a union.The Employee Free Choice Act gives workers an opportunity to bargain with their employers for better job security, wages and health care at a time of astounding corporate greed. The legislation would penalize employers who try to fire or harass workers for attempting to form a union; and it would also mandate that once workers have voted for a union, employers have to come to agreement with workers on a contract.
Show your support for security guards by showing support for the Employee Free Choice Act.
R U PEOPLE FRICKIN' CRAZY? THE GOOD SENATOR FROM SOUTH CAROLINA IS EXACTLY CORRECT, CALL HIM WHAT HE IS A "LIAR." OUR CONSTITUTION WILL NOT ALLOW FOR FEDERAL PUBLIC HEALTH CARE WITHOUT COVERAGE FOR ALL (YEP- THAT INCLUDES ILLEGALS). SO GO AHEAD...YEE NURSES WHO THINK YOU ARE OVERWORKED NOW!!!! HERE IT COMES. HEY WHAT'S UP WITH ACORN IN BALTIMORE....IS PROSTITUTION LEGAL NOW. MUST BE THE MORAL DECAY OF THIS SOCIETY...OR I'LL BOMB YA, OOPS I MEAN OBAMA! GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT...SEND THAT OUT TO TEN OF YOUR FRIENDS.
I FEEL SORRY FOR ALL OF YOU. YOU ARE MISGUIDED AND BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOUR PUBLIC SPEAKER....I MEAN LEADER...I MEAN DICTATOR....I MEAN PRESIDENT SAYS. LOOK AT ACORN, OPEN YOUR EYES LOOK AT WHAT IS REALLY GOING ON. GOOD LUCK IN TAKING US ALL DOWN WITH YOU.
What the SEIU doesn't tell you is that the City of Miami Beach has a minimum wage requirement of $9.51, but Security Alliance pays $10.50 an hour to its security officers. I had read that this "great" officer "Richard Ruiz" was cheating on his time sheets and stealing from the company. Why doesn't the SEIU state that in this publication? Let the SEIU come in, and the Miami Beach residents will see an increase in their taxes, because even in a bad economy, the SEIU will demand higher wages. GOOD LUCK!