Miami Dade, Broward security officers who patrol public buildings fight for better wages

The months of November and December are synonymous with the holidays, food, family and fanfare. But for many of the contracted security guards who guard the public buildings of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties, they say it’s a reminder that they don’t earn enough to live in South Florida.

Jackelyn Strachan, a 74-year-old great-grandmother, has worked as an officer for more than two decades in the Miami-Dade court system. But she doesn’t get paid when her workplace closes down for federal holidays. She’s the breadwinner for her large family. This Thanksgiving, she’s not sure she will buy a turkey for her children, their children, and their children’s children.

“The lack of money means a lack of food and other essential things,” said Stratchan.

Strachan is among the more than 2,000 security guards, overwhelmingly people of color and many of them immigrants, who recently kicked off contract negotiations with the private security contractors that Miami-Dade and Broward Counties hire to protect South Florida’s airports, trains, buses, libraries, buildings, courthouses and ports. Those officers told the Miami Herald that they are committed to their work, but they don’t make enough money to support themselves and their families in a job that puts their lives on the line.

“We are responsible for the security of many key places throughout the counties. And we want people to recognize the value of our work, to be respected as workers who are first responders in all kinds of situations,” said Mileidys Mesa, a Havana-born security guard who has worked at Miami’s International Airport for six years.

A recent report from 32BJ SEIU, the union that represents them, surveyed nearly 300 members. The investigation found that over half have missed or been late on rent and mortgage payments, skipped meals or cut back on groceries. Nearly a third have also skipped on necessary medical care, and many have to work second and third jobs to get by.

That’s why the unionized officers are asking for higher wages, additional training, more paid vacation and time off and paid federal holidays in workplaces that shut down.

“People see security officers like a piece of glass. It’s something you can look through, but you know it’s there. But we are the deterrents, the day-to-day heroes that people don’t pay attention to,” said Jahron Brown, a security guard who also trains new hires.

None of the security contractors involved in the negotiations responded to a request for comment from the Miami Herald about the negotiations. The current contract expires on Dec. 31. Greg Meyer, a Broward County spokesperson, said they would not address the negotiations for now because they were not a direct party at the bargaining table.

‘It’s an every day struggle’

The report found that 72% of security guards that the union represents are Black and 23% are Hispanic. Union representatives estimate that roughly half are immigrants or children of immigrants. And they often come from military and law enforcement backgrounds, including former soldiers, ex-police officers and previous corrections officers.

The officers told the Herald that they are often the first responders in emergency situations. Nicole Copelli, a U.S. Army and Marine veteran who patrols Miami-Dade transit, told the Herald that she has received death threats while on the job. She also came across an elderly man whose chronic pain had driven him to suicidal thoughts, and waited with him until fire rescue arrived to help him.

“We are not mall cops like you see on TV. We take our jobs seriously,” she said. Sixty percent of officers said they experienced one security incident weekly, according to the report.

That includes suicide attempts, violent assaults, drug trafficking and gun violence. And every month, nearly 40% encounter weapons like firearms, pepper spray, tasers and knives.

Jahron Brown, 40, told the Herald that he loves what he does. He trains new hires so they learn how to handle everything from overdoses and weapons contraband to suicide attempts and belligerent passersby. But the job makes it hard to cover the expenses for his four children.

Brown lives in a three-bedroom home with his partner and children. His teenage son and daughter share a bed-bunk. His 11-year-old son with autism shares another bunk with his 8-year-old brother. Sometimes, the 11-year-old gets sensory overload, which can happen to people with his condition. But because they are cramped at home, it is very difficult for him to isolate.

“If an emergency happens, I have to move, and I can’t even afford to move. It’s a struggle every single day,” Brown said. Over two-thirds of security guards surveyed take care of elderly parents, disabled family members, minors or other dependents.

Brown and many of his colleagues hope that the contracts will protect and build upon the counties’ current living wages. That’s especially critical after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that prohibits local governments from mandating that contractors pay more than the state’s minimum wage. Florida’s minimum wage, currently $13 an hour, is set to a dollar at a time until it hits $15 in fall 2026. Currently, the officers in Broward and Miami-Dade County make a little less than $18 with health benefits and over $21 without them, according to the union.

On a recent afternoon, the unionized security guards marched in matching purple shirts. They blew on yellow whistles and waved American flags, holding up colorful signs saying: “Recognize holidays for Security Offices.” “Stand by our officers.” “Security Officers Deserve Better.”

“A lot of these individuals who have the powers that be who make these decisions are some of the same individuals who are protected by these exact same security officers today,” Brown said.