Security officers rally for good jobs

With security concerns heightened following the shooting at the Capitol and the tragedy in Brussels, the security officers who protect the vast majority of the city’s commercial office buildings gathered on Farragut Square Monday afternoon to demand good jobs. Joined by former DC mayor Vincent Gray, Reverend Graylan Hagler and other allies, hundreds of guards rallied for a fair contract "to ensure that the men and women who keep DC secure can support their families."  
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- report/photos by Chris Garlock

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As rain fell gently, members of the union spoke emotionally about "keeping the dream alive" on the anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., in Memphis while supporting the struggle by sanitation workers for justice. Negotiations for a new union contract covering 3,000 private security officers began in February between SEIU 32BJ and private security contractors. "While District security officers safeguard buildings in one of the nation's strongest and most profitable commercial real estate markets, they struggle to pay for the nation's most expensive child care and housing," said Local 32BJ. The current contract expires on April 15.