2005 National AFRAM Conference R

RESOLUTION FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE AFRAM NATIONAL BOARD

Resolution to support security officers who want to improve their standard of living and who want their right to organize and bargain collectively respected. Officers are organizing throughout the nation, including the cities of Seattle, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Boston, New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, D. C.

Whereas more than 1 million private security officers--more than twice the number of police officers--are employed in the United States; and

Whereas, private security is one of the 10 fastest growing occupations in the United States and the workforce is disproportionately drawn from the African American and Latino communities (for example, in Los Angeles African American officers account for 65 percent of the workforce); and

Whereas AFRAM is committed to advancing the principled and just aspirations of African Americans within the labor movement in general and SEIU in particular; and

Whereas the Los Angeles SEIU security officers campaign is part of the largest African American union effort in the history of the US Labor movement; and

Whereas, the events of September 11, 2001 emphasize how important security officers are to protecting lives and property; and

Whereas, despite the increased concerns about security officers in major cities are paid poverty wages, have few benefits, and receive minimal training; the average annual pay for security officers is less than $19,000 a year; health insurance, if it is offered, is unaffordable; officers do not receive paid sick days or holidays; and

Whereas, the private security industry does not provide officers with a career ladder hence their opportunities for advancement are limited; we should challenge the fast-growing private security industry, which enjoys billions of dollars in profits every year, to share more of its profits with workers from our community in the form of wages and benefits; and

Whereas, if security companies provided officers with raises and benefits, hundreds of millions of dollars would flow into our nation's communities of color and poor neighborhoods. For example, simply achieving parity in pay and benefits for security officers in Los Angeles with janitorial workers would add more than $100 million a year into the communities of South Los Angeles; and

Whereas, if security jobs provided greater opportunities for training and a career ladder, officers would have greater future prospects and provide more security for their families; and

Therefore, AFRAM resolves to stand with officers who are fighting for a better life for themselves and their families. AFRAM further supports security officers' fundamental right to unionize and bargain collectively; and

The AFRAM resolves to encourage security firms and those who use security services, i.e. major building owners, retail outlets, mall companies, and others to respect officers' right to unionize to improve their lives, the lives of their families, and their communities.

Further, AFRAM also resolves to encourage local and state units to partner with the Service Employees International Union in the cities where officers are seeking to organize and to challenge security companies, building owners, and others who interfere with this process.