Union Theological Seminary security guards unionize for improved wages, benefits

Upper West Side NY

03 March, 2022

4:22 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY DYLAN ANDRES AND ISABELLE LEE MARCH 2, 2022 Security guards at Union Theological Seminary officially unionized on Wednesday, joining the largest union of property service workers in the United States. The newly-formed union at UTS seeks to pass a new contract with provisions including a $26 hourly wage for starting workers, health coverage, vacation time, and paid sick leave, among other benefits. The unionization comes just months after the Student Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers' 10-week strike and ultimate contract ratification. The contract's unprecedented gains, which include a minimum wage increase from $15 to $21 and a $300,000 health fund for student workers, have inspired student worker activism nationwide. [Read more: Spurred on by SWC-UAW contract, student workers nationwide pursue greater workplace protections] K.B. Brower, a first-year master's student in divinity, called on UTS to "live up to its values of social and racial justice." Brower said that although the UTS administration shares the belief that workers should be making more money, it has done "nothing concrete" to accomplish that goal. "We're asking them to take greater leadership," she said. Around noon on Wednesday, guard contractor Allied Universal Security Systems recognized the guards as part of the Service Employees International Union, Local 32BJ, which represents more than 175,000 workers. Student organizers then held a prayer service to allow for reflection concerning the seminary's priorities. Soon after announcing the unionization, Seminary President Serene Jones joined officers and student leaders in the movement to discuss their requests. Brower characterized the meeting as "productive." Organizers presented Jones with two potential plans of action to meet their demands. First, they requested to become independent of their contractor Allied Universal Security Systems and shift to direct employment by UTS, becoming, like Public Safety officers at Columbia, employed by the university at which they work. This change would allow the seminary to determine worker wages. The other appeal requested that UTS pay the difference between contractor payment and the union's minimum required payment. Members of the new union expressed the necessity of improved working conditions. Sherwin Shambuger said that the low wages have made it difficult for him to even visit the hospital or pay his medical bills. William Orjuela, who is just 17 years old, said he "can barely get by," and Tamakia Herd called it "unfair for security guards to not have benefits" because many work two jobs and take care of their children, struggling to make ends meet. "I just want the best for my coworkers," Orjuela said. "We just want to see a change in our lifestyle, and within [UTS] as well." Organizers called on the broader University community to support their efforts. During the SWC-UAW strike last fall, many undergraduates showed solidarity with student-workers, despite the widespread learning loss, credit recovery, and campus instability engendered by the strike. "It would be incredibly meaningful to the security guards and to the campaign to have the support of Columbia students, Columbia grad students, [and] Columbia faculty, since we are an institution that is part of Columbia University," Brower said. Ben Heaney, a second-year masters of divinity student, echoed the need to build support from the broader community. He attributed much of the movement's enthusiasm to last semester's graduate student-worker movement. "A lot of enthusiasm definitely carried over. …Seeing those workers win gave people a lot of energy," he said. Organizers have distributed a petition to students and faculty, which some prominent faculty— including Cornel West, the highly acclaimed theologian who returned to UTS from Harvard in 2021—have already signed. "We are going to continue to build support until we win," Brower said. Staff Writer Dylan Andres can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @Dyllandres. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.