FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE : Monday, May 5, 2008
Contact: Jennifer Kelly, 213-300-3336

Inter-Con Attempt at an Injunction Would Only Prevent Workers from Carrying Picket Signs – Won’t Stop the Strike; Strike to Proceed as Planned Starting Tomorrow, May 6

Oakland, Calif. –Inter-Con Security filed for charges with the National Labor Relations Board last week asking the NLRB to seek a court injunction against a 3-day unfair labor practice strike by more than 400 officers who protect Kaiser facilities. But according to legal experts at SEIU, the result of such an injunction would only prevent workers from carrying picket signs – not from striking. The predominantly minority workforce is scheduled to walk off the job starting May 6 in Northern California to protest how Inter-Con has retaliated against, threatened, intimidated and spied on workers who are trying to form a union.

Inter-Con claims that this is an illegal strike by officers over union recognition. Officers maintain that they are striking over Inter-Con’s repeated violations of their civil rights, a claim backed by numerous unfair labor practice charges filed with the NLRB recently.

“Inter-Con would have the public believe that they have the ability to silence these workers and stop the strike, but in reality, their legal tactic, if successful, would only mean Inter-Con officers couldn’t carry picket signs when they strike,” said Orrin Baird, Associate General Counsel, with SEIU.

SEIU has previously stated that Inter-Con’s charges are completely without merit, as the company has repeatedly committed unfair labor practices in violation of the law. This is the basis of the strike.

“Inter-Con is throwing everything at us except the kitchen sink,” said LaRonda Lynch an Inter-Con officer at Kaiser Sunset in Los Angeles. First it is intimidation and harassment when we stand up for our rights and now they are trying to use the law to take away our picket signs. Nothing will prevent us from standing up for our rights.” Officers in Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and Anaheim will join the strike on May 8.

Inter-Con officers work for poverty wages, many making as little as $9/hour while at Kaiser. Many Inter-Con officers cannot afford the family healthcare coverage and do not have paid sick days. By comparison, facility janitors have free family healthcare, make a minimum of $11.50/hour and accrue paid sick leave.

Since November 2005, 1,500 Inter-Con security officers in California have been working to improve security and working conditions by forming a union with SEIU. They are the only workers at Kaiser—either direct employees or subcontracted—who do not have a union.

With 1.9 million members, SEIU is the largest and fastest-growing union in North America and the largest property services union, representing more than 250,000 security officers, janitors, and other service workers. SEIU United Service Workers West represents 10,000 private security officers across California.

Download this press release in PDF format