Guards lead charge for more sick days

AlliedBarton security guards have just received sick days, but some say Penn's plan is not enough.

Following complaints from guards about not receiving paid leave for illnesses, the University has decided to fund a program for AlliedBarton to provide guards working on campus with sick days.

Beginning July 1, guards will receive one sick day or bereavement day for every year that they work on campus.

"In March, it was agreed upon that AlliedBarton will give all full time employees at Penn sick time and bereavement days," said Larry Rubin, a spokesperson for AlliedBarton. "It's one year, one day."

Penn Executive Vice President Craig Carnaroli wrote in an e-mail that, after engaging with the community, the University heard the need for a sick-day plan and acted accordingly.

But labor advocacy groups say the move is not nearly sufficient.

At a meeting last week, both Jobs with Justice and the Student Labor Action Project met with Carnaroli to ask for more on behalf of the guards.

They would like to see a different system in which every guard receives three sick days from the time they start and the number of sick days increases with time.

"If the University can create this policy, they can do better," said Shakirah Simley, co-president of SLAP. "Penn has a lot of power and a lot of influence."

"It's not enough," added one AlliedBarton guard who was granted anonymity for fear of retribution from the company.

"You could take a day off to go to a relative's funeral, and then if you get sick you have to choose between going to work sick and not getting paid."

Another guard, who also asked to remain anonymous for the same reason, pointed out that, oftentimes, not being able to take a sick day off could aggravate an illness, particularly in severe weather conditions.

Guards and student leaders point out that sick days are only one issue among many in improving conditions for Penn's guards.

Carnaroli said he has been actively engaged in trying to improve working conditions for guards since August 2005, when five guards were suspended and transferred off campus by AlliedBarton for petitioning Penn President Amy Gutmann for higher wages and more benefits.

"In the fall of 2005, Dr. Gutmann asked that I conduct a review of the AlliedBarton contract to ensure that workers on Penn's campus are being treated fairly," he wrote in an e-mail.

Improving working conditions for security guards has been a constant theme at other colleges, including Temple and Harvard universites.

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