Security guards gain raises in pact with 4 companies

Security officer Elizabeth Valdivia’s job is to protect the employees and property of offices in the Bay Area, including from encroaching homeless people.

The irony is that Valdivia is homeless herself, living in her Mercury Tracer because she couldn’t afford a place to live.

“I always felt like saying, ‘Gee, if you really want to make sure homeless people aren’t on the property, shouldn’t you pay your contract people enough so they don’t sleep in their cars?’ ” said Valdivia, 58, who earns $13.50 an hour.

On Saturday, thousands of security officers, including Valdivia, approved a four-year union contract with four security companies that would raise wages up to $1.20 an hour by January and make employers contribute more money for health care costs. Many of the 3,000 officers affected by the contract earn $12 to $14 an hour, according to the SEIU United Service Workers West union.

The companies involved in the agreement are Securitas,

Allied Universal, G4S and Cypress Security. Some of the signers are among the vendors Facebook and Google use.

Kes Narbutas, CEO of Cypress Security, said his firm is proud to be a part of the agreement and believes it “will become the benchmark for security officers in Silicon Valley.” Narbutas said he hopes the contract will help support companies that provide quality service from getting undercut by non-union firms that underpay their employees.

Allied Universal confirmed it had reached an agreement with the union but declined to answer other questions. Securitas and G4S did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Facebook said in a statement that it “values the partnership with our security providers and we greatly appreciate our security officers and the tremendous work they do every day to keep our people and offices safe and secure.”

Valdivia says that a good portion of her paycheck goes toward renting a room for her autistic brother in San Jose and paying his other expenses. The contract will give her a chance to start saving up money for a room or couch she can rent, Valdivia said.

The contract “is a very positive step forward for service workers in the Silicon Valley,” she said.