SEIU Local 1 Essential Security Officers and Residential Door Staff in Chicago Rally and Hold Press Conference Downtown for Fair Contracts
CHICAGO, IL — On August 26, more than 100 essential security officers and residential door staff rallied alongside Alderman Vasquez and held a press conference in downtown Chicago to demand fair contracts as negotiations affecting around 8,000 Chicagoland working families continue. Contracts impacting 1,500 door staff and 6,500 security officers are set to expire soon, and Local 1 member leaders are fighting for contracts that include fair wages, dignified benefits, job security, and maintain the standards Chicago’s working people deserve.
Local 1 security officers and door staff – who are primarily Black and brown workers who work and live in Chicago – are coming together across industries like never before to fight to protect the integrity of their professions by demanding accountability from subcontractors that often exploit workers and undermine job standards. No worker should be treated as disposable. When we invest in door staff and security officers, we invest in the people who make Chicago’s neighborhoods stronger, safer, and more connected.
Local 1 security officers secure public and private spaces throughout Chicagoland, including schools, hospitals, banks, universities, hotels, city offices, and much more. Essential security officers are responsible for the safety of businesses, patrons, and neighbors throughout our communities, making them a vital part of Chicago. Local 1 security officers are the backbone of public safety in Chicago. These officers show up every day to protect others. Despite their essential contributions, this workforce is underpaid, under-protected, and too often undervalued. These officers put their safety on the line to ensure the rest of us feel safe while working within an industry that has long exploited Black labor, especially the labor of Black women.
Local 1 residential door staff are the trusted, familiar faces that make high-rise living in Chicago feel like home. They are the first “hello” and the last “goodbye,” providing safety, security, and unparalleled customer service day in and day out. From managing deliveries to walking dogs, opening doors, and ensuring building safety, these essential workers are the heartbeat of residential life. SEIU Local 1 door staff are more than just employees. They are protectors, problem-solvers, and the daily source of warmth and stability for thousands of residents across Chicagoland. They know every face, every routine, every corner of the buildings they serve. Their presence brings peace of mind to seniors, working parents, and families alike.
For too long, their contracts have fallen short of what essential workers deserve, but that’s about to change.
“SEIU Local 1 security officers and door staff are on the frontlines of keeping our communities safe every single day. Their work is essential, and they deserve more than poverty wages and instability – they deserve good, dignified jobs and a fair contract that reflects their value,” said 40th Ward Alderman Andre Vasquez. “I stand with SEIU Local 1 members in this fight, because when workers win, our neighborhoods and our entire city are stronger. Fair contracts, now!”
“For too long, contractors have worked to divide these workers – pitting door staff and security officers against one another, despite doing similar and vital jobs. And why? To drive wages down, to deny benefits, to keep the people who keep Chicago safe from earning the stability they deserve,” said SEIU Local 1 President Genie Kastrup. “Security Officers who risk their lives to protect these multi-million dollar sites are often the lowest paid workers, living paycheck to paycheck with little to no benefits, having to make hard choices between which bills to pay, and having to figure out how to survive!
“Unfortunately, contractors don’t feel as if we’re owed what we know we deserve,” said security officer and 6-year Local 1 member Tyree Daniels. “All the hard work and sacrifice we do every day is essential to keeping these places, and our city, safe and running. We deserve a better pension, better wages, reduced healthcare costs, but these companies want to keep the status quo and take advantage of us and the work we do.”
“Our Local 1 family is coming together across industries because decision makers have made the unfortunate – and to be honest, very unprofessional – decision to allow greed and profits to mean more than fair worker compensation,” said residential door staff and 26-year Local 1 member Joseph Jackson. “These decision makers are deciding to pay below-standard wages and offer little-to-no benefits to essential workers who help keep downtown Chicago running. We will not allow that to happen. We will continue to stand together to ensure we raise and maintain the standards working people deserve.”