At noon today, Friday, Aug. 21, non-union Harbor East security officers walked off the job on an Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) strike for the second time since April 2026. Their employer, Abacus Security, recently lost a Baltimore City Government contract after a strike over similar issues. W orkers are protesting discrimination and retaliation for legally protected union activities. Baltimore City Councilwoman Odette Ramos will be there to speak to Abacus officers. Striking security officers claim they work a dangerous job without health care, and they have been forbidden from speaking to the press about their working conditions, a restriction which is illegal. They made this allegation in a recently filed ULP charge. Abacus workers describe an increase in “teen takeovers”, altercations, and disorderly conduct in some places where they work. An officer named Justin believes he did not receive the support he needed after a violent confrontation at 901 S. Bond Street on June 8, 2026. Before he called the police, perpetrators were banging on the windows, threw water bottles at him, and pushed their way into the building. “We just want to feel safe and able to do our job,” Justin said. Their job is not without serious risk. A new Berkeley report shows that security officers die on the job at more than twice the rate of the average worker, and that nearly two-thirds of their fatal injuries result from assaults and other violent acts. Last July 28 marked the one-year anniversary of the fatal shooting of Aland Etienne, a security officer and member of 32BJ SEIU in midtown Manhattan. 32BJ has filed seven ULP charges against Abacus with the National Labor Relations Board: An August 18, 2026, charge alleges, Abacus told officers they are forbidden from speaking to the press about working conditions, demoted one worker and fired another for legally protected union activities. A July 10, 2026, charge alleges Abacus threatened or coerced workers for legal union activities. On June 10, 2026, an Abacus supervisor and HEMG director made statements that threatened, restrained, or coerced employees in their exercise of protected labor rights. In March 2026, Abacus fired a third officer after he engaged in protected union activity. In March 2026 workers were allegedly told not to join the union or discuss the terms and conditions of their employment in yet another violation of workers’ rights on the job In November 2025, a worker was fired in alleged retaliation for protected union activity. In June 2025, an officer was effectively suspended for six days after participating in a public, union-affiliated event, then removed from her shift and reassigned to a less desirable shift. The recent Berkeley report also shows that annual turnover in the security industry reached 89 percent in 2024. This seriously drained the industry of veteran workers and created a potential threat to public safety. Low wages, minimal benefits, and unreliable schedules are not conducive to staying long-term in a job. In contrast, at San Francisco International Airport, higher pay and lower turnover improved the quality and reliability of security services. There are 190,000 32BJ SEIU members in 12 states, including around 1,700 in Baltimore Maryland. It is the largest property service workers union in the country. ...read more read less