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Anthropic Closes San Francisco Offices After Security-Contractor Strike Warning

The precaution shows third-party labor notices can disrupt AI firms during IPO preparations by raising immediate safety and access concerns.

Overview

  • Anthropic received a notice from its security contractor last week warning that Allied Universal security staff might strike, according to people familiar with the matter.
  • The company told San Francisco employees not to come into offices on Monday and Tuesday as a precautionary measure to avoid potential gaps in on-site protection.
  • The Service Employees International Union said it had not authorized a strike vote and issued no strike threat for that week, describing the action as news to the union.
  • Allied Universal declined to say what it communicated to Anthropic and said it was monitoring the situation while focusing on maintaining safe, reliable operations.
  • Anthropic’s nearly 1 million square feet SoMa footprint, its hybrid 25% in-office policy and a confidential S-1 filing make short-term security disruptions operationally and commercially significant.