Union security workers for the California offices of OpenAI, Anthropic and other tech companies announced Wednesday that they had authorized a strike.
The security staff, who are looking for better pay, are employed by staffing agencies that provide building security for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta and Salesforce, according to the SEIU-United Service Workers West.
Business Insider reported this earlier Anthropic employees asked to work from home last week, when the company believed there could be a threatened strike by Allied Universal, the security staffing company for its San Francisco office.
On Wednesday, a strike over unfair labor practices was officially sanctioned as union security officers marched through San Francisco and near the offices of OpenAI and Anthropic. It was not immediately clear whether a strike would definitely go ahead, or when.
Security workers seeking better wages and benefits rallied in San Francisco on Wednesday. SEIU – United Service Workers West
Some companies have tightened safety protocols in recent years. The Wall Street Journal reported that Anthropic and OpenAI have addressed several threats against their employees. In April, police said a Molotov cocktail was thrown into the home of OpenAI’s Sam Altman. who said it later AI “doomerism talk” may have contributed to the attack.
The SEIU-USWW, which represents about 14,000 security workers, said it had negotiated with allied and other employment agencies, such as Securitas and GardaWorld, for better wages and benefits for staff in the San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley and Los Angeles County.
“We are asking Allied and the other security companies to stop playing games, come to the table and create a strong contract with real pay increases, better training and respect for the officers who keep these buildings safe,” Christopher Yates, an Allied Universal security official who lives in Hayward, said in an emailed statement from the union.
Representatives from OpenAI, Anthropic, Salesforce, Google and Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
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