A Response to Manulife Financial's Refusal to Meet with SEIU 615

This Tuesday (11/18/2008) I joined a delegation of about twenty security officers, organizers and community allies from SEIU 615, the union representing security officers in many of Boston's largest and most profitable properties.

Our task was simple. We wanted to speak with a representative of Manulife, the owners of The Berkeley Building at 200 Berkeley St in Boston about the deplorable salaries and benefits Securitas, the security firm they employ, pays its security officers.

Our logic was simple. If you own a building worth hundreds of millions of dollars wouldn't you want to know that the people paid to protect it are earning a fair wage and receive decent health benefits?

Not only did the receptionist at the front desk tell us that there was no responsible person from Manulife in the building to whom we could talk, he promptly called his supervisor. A few minutes later a fellow appeared who told us that he would make sure Manulife received a copy of our request and the ad in the Boston Metro which lists supporters of SEIU's campaign to secure fare wages and benefits for its members.

However, when we asked him his name, he refused to give it. Amazing really. We were a peaceful, diverse group of women and men wanting only to talk with the people who owned a large building in Boston, but we were clearly viewed as a threat.

But perhaps it is not so surprising when one remembers that we were trying to represent security workers who make about $11 and hour, less than half what it takes to live reasonably in Boston, and can't afford the health care their employers offer. I guess I would want to hide, too, if I owned a building worth half a billion dollars and refused to demand that my security firm find a few dollars to make life bearable for the people who protect my property.

A fair wage and health care are human rights. Manulife and Securitas should be ashamed of their failure to provide these basic human rights for the security workers who protect their investment.

Sincerely,

Br. Jack Rathschmidt, OFM Cap.
St. Francis Friary
46 Brookside Ave.
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130