Twin Cities Security Guards Prepare To Strike

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Thousands of Twin Cities security guards are preparing for a possible strike Sunday. Talks with the security officer's SEIU Local 26 and contractors broke down on Friday afternoon.

At 1 p.m. Sunday, members of SEIU local 26 security officers will join forces with other labor unions, community members and church groups. They'll be making plans to walk off the job as early as Monday if a contract deal isn't reached by the end of the day.

The sticking points include salary and hours. Union officials aren't happy with the contract proposals that include lower pay and a shift to more part-time work. Union members want wage increases and more hours.

Security officers are employed by third party contractors for some of the biggest corporations in the Twin Cities, including Target and Best Buy. This union is made up of some 2,000 members. Their contract expired on Dec. 31. Since then, they've been working without a contract and hoping for a resolution.

We reached out to the law firm representing the third party contractors and have not heard back.

Yesterday the janitors union came up with a tentative agreement as 4,000 janitors were set to go on strike this week. After 31 hours of negotiations, the deal includes more hours, higher pay and better health care benefits.

If a contract agreement can't be reached and the security guards go on strike, union leaders say replacement guards could be brought in to fill the vacancies. Five years ago, the security officers went on a one-day strike and companies did rely on replacement workers.

However, that one day strike also led to a contract. They hope the same happens this time around.