Richmond, VA –  On Saturday December 10, 2016, seventy (70) Allied Universal security officers working on the Richmond, VA city contract were called to a meeting and told by upper management they would be losing their vacation days and 401k benefits. Immediately following the meeting several Allied Universal security officers contacted LEOSU-DC Organizing Director Steve Maritas and asked what could the union do to help these officers.

LEOSU-DC Organizing Director Steve Maritas immediately sprang into action advising these Allied Universal security officers to go online to our website and signup to join our union. Within 24 hours of the call for help the Law Enforcement Officers Security Unions LEOSU-DC had signed close to the majority of these Allied Universal security officers. Upon having the support needed to file an election with the National Labor Relations Board, the union electronically filed an election with the NLRB on Sunday night and thereafter notified Allied Universal of our NLRB petition. By morning Allied Universal upper management were in a tailspin seeing the quick action of the union as well as the solidarity of these Richmond, VA security officers banding together as a united front.

By Monday morning, these 70 Allied Universal security officers were receiving emails from the company informing them that their vacation pay and 401k benefits would no longer be taken away from them by the company.  SEE ALLIED UNIVERSAL LETTER.

Allied Universal 2017 Employee Handbook

Maritas noted, “while we were successful in gaining back the vacation days, 401k benefits and other benefits of these Allied Universal security officers in Richmond, VA, we must now continue to move forward, not backwards as the union seeks to not only protect the wages, benefits and other conditions of employment these officers presently enjoy, but rather we must move forward in improving these wages, benefits and working conditions as well as providing “JOB SECURITY” since these (70) Allied Universal security officers are still “AT-WILL” employees subject to firing without just cause”. “That is why it is so important to have a union and a union contract in place so management cannot just fire its employees “AT-WILL” nor can they take away their benefits “AT-WILL” as in the case of these (70) Allied Universal security officers”. noted Maritas.

The union expects the NLRB will conduct a mail ballot election within the next few weeks. Upon winning the union election the LEOSU-DC will be certified as the collective bargaining agent for these Allied Universal officers and then we will begin the process of collective bargaining to improve the wages benefits and other conditions of employment for these Allied Universal Richmond, VA security officers.

From: Jennifer Daniels
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2016 8:39 AM
To: Donatelli, Lane  McAllister, Gesi,  Arruda, Deo; Keegans, Thomas ; Vreeland, Sean ; Siano, Scott
Cc: Kowalski, Diane; Reinhold, Amy ; Grose, Brooke
Subject: S/P Vacation Benefits and new Employee Handbook – Clarification

Please see the message that was sent to me and DelMar regarding the Anniversary Bonus/Vacation Policy contained in the employee handbook. Please use the talking points (highlighted in yellow below) with your teams and ensure any communications reinforce this message.

The great news is that through a tremendous amount of collaboration between many departments, we were able to finalize the new S/P Employee Handbook* and get this sent out to start providing our managers, supervisors and S/Ps with some needed guidance on key policies like attendance, work rules and performance expectations.

This Handbook contains our “go forward” approach for new accounts relative to the Anniversary Bonus Program, which is provided annually to employees as a recognition for service.  This part of the Handbook is intended to represent the standard program for the vast majority of legacy Universal accounts, and the standard for new accounts sold going forward.

Unfortunately, in the focus on the handbook getting launched in general, we missed on pre-communicating what that section means to existing employees in legacy AB accounts that currently have vacation plans, and those employees in union or client-contract accounts that require a traditional vacation plan.  This has created some confusion with primarily legacy AB Managers.  

This email is to further clarify this and provide you with bullet points for follow up discussions with your leadership teams:

• There is no change to any accounts or jobs at this time – whatever program is in place today, remains in place until further notice.  NO action is required, nothing new should be relayed to S/Ps, and all employees should be advised that whatever program they are on today remains in effect regardless of language in the Handbook – it does not alter their current program.  Specifically:

o   Legacy AB account with standard AB vacation plan – remains in effect as currently administered

o   Legacy AB or Universal Union account that requires union – remains in effect as currently administered

o   Legacy AB or Universal non-union account that contractually requires vacation – remains in effect as currently administered

o   Legacy Universal account currently using Anniversary Bonus Program – remains in effect as currently administered

o   Legacy Universal account currently using Grandfathered Anniversary Bonus Program (i.e., acquisition account) – remains in effect as currently administered

• We continue to evaluate an overall transition plan regarding integrating and standardizing our approach to S/P vacation programs – Universal and AB had very different approaches, and thoughtful work is going into considering the best strategy for the Company and employees.
• We will involve the senior leadership and HR teams in the development of any communications related to this.
• If any alterations to plans were to occur, they would NOT involve client-contracted or union accounts – those would remain intact regardless of any transitions that occur.  For non-union/non-contract specified accounts (i.e., other legacy AB accounts that have an AB vacation plan currently), the annual dollar value of the current vacation benefits would NOT be impacted in an transition plan that is developed.
• Questions regarding the language in the Handbook can be directed to the HRDs, but the message very simply is that the Handbook section regarding the Anniversary Bonus Program applies to all existing accounts that currently have this benefit, and to new accounts that get sold that do not otherwise have a vacation program specified.

* the new Handbook version that has been posted on Sharepoint and eHub can be found at the link below, and is for all S/Ps nationally excluding Canada, CA, Puerto Rico and the USVI, which are forthcoming along with a new Admin Handbook.

https://my.aus.com/sites/HCM/PubCont/HR/Documents/Employee-Handbooks/EHB%20-%20AU%20-%20SP%20National%20(rev%2012-1-16).pdf

Thank you,

Jennifer Daniels, SPHR & SHRM-SCP

Regional Human Resources Director – Mid-Atlantic

Allied Universal

10735 David Taylor Drive | Suite 560 | Charlotte, NC 28262

Allied Universal Security Services is a security officer company based in the United States. It is a combination of earlier companies – Barton Protective Services, Spectaguard, Initial and Allied Security. By 2016, the company expects its merger with Universal Services of America to be finalized, with the newly formed conglomerate being named Allied Universal.

History

Allied Security, Inc. was founded in 1957 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company provided contracted security guards and related services.

In 2000, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based, Spectaguard acquired Allied to form Allied Security and as a result became the fourth largest security company in the United States.^[6] Three years later, in 2003, Allied Security acquired Professional Security Bureau.^[7] Within a year, in 2004, Allied acquired Security Systems Inc. (SSI) of Malden, MA and Barton Protective Services to form AlliedBarton Security Services – creating the largest American-owned contract security services company in the United States. Two years later, in 2006, AlliedBarton acquired Initial Security for $73.6 million.

In 2015, Wendel, a Paris-based private-equity firm, acquired AlliedBarton Security Services for US$1.67 billion.

In 2016, AlliedBarton and Universal Services of America announced their intention to merge, pending regulatory commission approval. The merger is expected to be completed by 2016, with the combined company being called Allied Universal. With this merger, Allied Universal will become the leading security company in North America.

On Oct 03, 2016, Allied Universal  purchased of FJC Security Services.

Law Enforcement Officers Security Unions (LEOSU -DC) America’s Newest 9(b)3 Security Union For Law Enforcement Security Police, Special Police, Security Guards, Security Officers & Security Professionals in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Washington DC Capitol Region and throughout the Northeast.