A few shared their thoughts on the contract and the issues at stake as Service Employees International Union Local 26 seeks a new contract for 800 security officers.

"I voted \'no\' on the new contract because I\'m standing up for working people who deserve affordable health care," said Nathan Ness, Minneapolis, a security officer for ABM Security Services.

Ness, who has worked 10 months as a security officer, said he is not able to afford the health insurance offered.

He noted that ABM\'s clients pay about $22 per hour for security services, while the security officers earn $10-$11 per hour. "With that kind of a profit they\'re making, affordable health care is a reasonable request."

Corky Aurness. Brooklyn Center, (above) said she voted no on the contract "especially for the families – there\'s no way they can afford that insurance." One of SEIU Local 26\'s stewards (below) brings absentee ballots to the election judges at the United Labor Center. John Graham, a member of the bargaining committee, staffed the polling station with Darcy Koloc, a Local 26 staff member. Photos by Steve Share

Corky Aurness. Brooklyn Center, has worked for Securitas for five years. She said she also voted \'no\' on the contract, "especially for the families — there\'s no way they can afford that insurance."

She is single, she said, and because she doesn\'t have a family she is able to afford the individual health insurance offered by her employer. "The insurance isn\'t very good that I have," she said, noting that she picked the least expensive premium.

Aurness is one of only 17 percent of the 800 security officers who are enrolled in health care coverage through their employers. Only 13 security officers are enrolled in family health care coverage.

Security officer John Graham, a Securitas employee and a member of the Local 26 bargaining committee, handed out ballots to the Local 26 members coming in to vote. He also told voters about the bargaining committee\'s recommendation to vote \'no\' on the contract.

He discussed the experience of one co-worker, who literally was forced to choose between feeding his kids and taking them to the doctor. "That should not happen," Graham said. "It\'s not a security officer issue, it\'s a community issue, it\'s a Minnesota issue, it\'s a national issue."

While Local 26 provided the opportunity for in-person voting, most of the voting on the contract took place via absentee ballots distributed at workplaces by Local 26 stewards, the union said.

Voting results will be announced Wednesday at a news conference at noon at Minneapolis City Hall.

Steve Share edits the Labor Review, the official publication of the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council.

For more information
See the Workday special section on the Stand for Security campaign