Historic First-Ever Union Contract Improves over a Thousand Jobs for Underpaid Workers and their Families

At a time when the national movement for economic fairness has seen airport workers, fast food workers, and decision-makers--from state legislators to ordinary citizens--fighting to increase the wages paid to our country's most underpaid workers, New Jersey security officers have become the latest heroes of the fight. On Saturday, the officers ratified a historic, industry-wide contract set to improve wages and benefits for over 1,200 security officers who protect people and property at commercial real estate sites.

Most officers will see a minimum wage increase from $9 to $11 over the life of the contract, and all security officers will receive nearly two dollars an hour in raises in less than three years.

For the first time, all full-time officers will receive employer-paid health care, as well as paid vacation. Rosheta Dixon, a security officer and mother of two young children, emphasized the significance of health care for her family: "Now that we'll get benefits, I can finally afford to buy medicine when I get sick."

It's no small feat for the broader community, either. The officers' healthcare win means that they will no longer have to choose between going without care, or being forced to rely on taxpayer-subsidized programs for their care. The increase in pay and benefits is projected to generate millions of dollars in new economic activity for impoverished neighborhoods in Essex, Hudson and Union Counties, including Newark and Jersey City.

"This contract is a smart investment in our economy and ensures that one of the state's largest and growing service industries creates better jobs for our communities," said Kevin Brown, 32BJ SEIU New Jersey Director. "Across the nation, low-wage service workers, like those working at airports for poverty wages, are fighting for family-sustaining jobs. Today, the men and women who keep hundreds of buildings in New Jersey safe are setting an example for other industries to follow."

The move is being heralded as the largest private-sector organizing win in New Jersey in a decade. The security officers' historic victory builds hope that workers can help create a new economy that works for everyone, not just the richest one percent.