Security Staff at OpenAI and Anthropic Authorize Strike Over Pay and Conditions
Unionized security guards employed by third-party contractors have officially authorized a potential strike affecting tech companies including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and Meta. Represented by the SEIU-USWW union, the workers are demanding higher wages, improved benefits, and better training. Physical security is increasingly critical for AI research firms facing heightened public scrutiny and safety threats aimed at their executives. A strike could force major tech companies to disrupt office routine and mandate work-from-home policies, as Anthropic recently did preemptively. The SEIU-USWW union represents around 14,000 security officers across the San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley, and Los Angeles County. While the strike authorization for unfair labor practices has passed, no specific date for a walkout has been set yet.
## BACKGROUND
Major tech companies frequently outsource facility security to third-party firms like Allied Universal, Securitas, and GardaWorld rather than employing guards directly. Meanwhile, security concerns at AI firms have escalated recently due to public anxiety and threats, including a Molotov cocktail attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman's residence earlier this year.