April Piette, a security officer at 25 Sigourney Street, a State building, says she wants “them to do what they’re supposed to do by contract– pay our pensions.”

Employed by SOS Security for two years, Piette says the company has been “intimidating, bullying, and threatening” while refusing to provide answers as to why they are not making pension contributions as required by State contract.

She was one of the 32BJ SEIU service workers on strike today in front of 450 Capitol Avenue, one of the two locations where the private security officers are assigned. Michael Allen, Assistant Director of Communications for SEIU, said “replacement workers” were being used today while roughly 40 security officers were on strike.

Whistles, sirens, and drumming could be heard blocks away. Chants of “Security!” and “Who hasn’t paid your money?” continued until the crowd gathered to listen to speakers who declared “It’s a shame.”

Beyond the pension dispute, subcontracted security officers say they struggle to afford health care with wages as low as $9.56 an hour.

Piette, though frustrated with SOS Security, was hopeful that “a lot of State workers” were coming by the picket line to support the cause.

This dispute has been ongoing since June 2011.


View more images and listen to the sound of security officers on strike.