Baltimore Introduces Bill to Raise Pay and Benefits for Commercial Security Officers

Overview

• The Security Officers Compensation Bill would require employers to meet at least the federal standard or the average compensation offered in large commercial buildings.
• Councilman Jermaine Jones sponsored the measure, with Council President Zeke Cohen and several members signing on to support a single clear standard for pay and benefits.
• City figures cite a local minimum of $15.80 an hour versus a federal benchmark of $18.29 plus $5.55 for health and welfare, with 2–4 weeks of vacation and 11 paid holidays.
• Officials estimate about 4,500 Baltimore security officers would benefit, and SEIU 32BJ reports roughly 1,700 members in the city.
• The proposal, filed as Bill 25-0116, was referred to the Labor and Workforce Committee as union leaders highlight health-care gaps and recent cuts to SNAP and Medicaid.