Nearly 14,000 union security officers were poised for a possible California walkout after months of contract talks failed to settle demands over wages, healthcare, training and workplace protections. The dispute puts the people guarding some of Silicon Valley’s most prominent offices at the center of a widening labor showdown.

On Tuesday, SEIU-United Service Workers West submitted a 72-hour strike notice after members authorized action, setting a potential start time of 4:30 a.m. Friday. The officers work for contractors including Allied Universal, Securitas, GardaWorld, Prosegur and Inter-Con, and guard sites linked to Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, Salesforce and Nvidia, as well as hospitals and transit hubs.¹

The union says the proposed deal does not meet the stakes of the work. It alleges bad-faith bargaining, surveillance, retaliatory discipline and unilateral workplace changes, while saying contractors offered only a 65-cent hourly raise across two years. “Security officers routinely encounter dangerous situations, often acting as first responders to emergencies, violence and crises,” the union said.¹ It points to a UC Berkeley analysis showing a median wage of $20.09 an hour for California guards, against $28.16 for workers statewide, alongside limited employer-backed health coverage and high turnover.¹

The prospect of a strike has made tech employers watchful. A walkout could force office closures or remote-work arrangements; Anthropic had already told San Francisco staff to work remotely for two days in late August after its staffing firm warned of a possible security strike.²

For workers, the issue is respect as much as pay. “We’re asking Allied and the other security companies to stop playing games, come to the table, and settle a strong contract with real raises, better training, and respect,” said Allied officer Christopher Yates.²

The contractors’ public position is more restrained. Allied Universal said it does not comment on active negotiations, but said its “priority remains supporting our employees and delivering for our clients” and that it was focused on “maintaining safe and reliable operations.”² Bargaining sessions were scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, leaving time to avert Friday’s threatened walkout.²