On Friday, SEIU6 security officers voted unanimously to reject the latest employer proposal on a new collective bargaining agreement that would cover nearly 5,000 security officers working in King County. A largely Black and brown workforce, union security officers protect the public as well as properties at sites including Sound Transit, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft.
The latest proposal fell short of security officers’ needs and expectations in several areas, including transparency around post orders, rules around subcontracting, notifications when AI and automation are being implemented in the workplace, and wages.
SEIU6 Security officers cited wages as the leading reason for voting down the proposal, which outlined a wage increase of only $.30 in the first year.
“The math is not mathing. My rent went up, and now I spend about ¾ of my income just on rent. What is $.30 going to do? Moving is so expensive; it’s like you’re trapped. I work night shift, which is taxing on my body. After my bills, I have about $300 left. Nothing is getting lower; everything is going up. You just spend your time trying to survive.” —Ahmed, SEIU6 Security Officer
“I voted no because the raise they offered doesn’t match up with inflation, like groceries and especially gas. I get paid weekly, and my paycheck isn’t enough if I have unexpected priorities, like car maintenance. Pretty soon I will have to change my breaks and it’s going to cost $1,000 or more.” —Virgilio, SEIU6 Security Officer
“The economy doesn’t look good for 2026. Our income cannot catch up with inflation and especially rent. A lot of people will struggle more with inflation. We need a big increase.” —Andy, SEIU6 Security Officer
“Security officers do hard, dangerous work that makes us all safer. Whatever issues our community is dealing with, security officers face at work. We won’t stop until we win a fair contract that dignifies their essential work.” —SEIU6 President Zenia Javalera
Currently, the median salary for security officers working in King County is under $55,000, according to a bargaining survey by SEIU6. As was recently reported in the Seattle Times, a renter needs to make nearly $92,000 to be able to afford a one bedroom apartment in King County.
“It’s clear to us that the companies are trying to negotiate wages that might’ve been acceptable 10 years ago, but we’re not in the same economy we were 10 years ago. Look at how much housing costs have changed in the past decade, and how much more our officers are tasked with, including dealing with the mental health crisis and citizens asserting their first amendment rights. We need wages that meet the moment workers are in right now.” —SEIU6 Deputy Director & Security Bargaining Team Lead, Greg Ramirez
