Stand Up For Fairness in Hollywood -- and Throughout the Country

With $10.7 billion in revenue in 2009, Hollywood is coming off its biggest year ever. Top-earning film Avatar helped Fox Studios gross $4.04 billion last year.

Meanwhile, several major Hollywood Studios, including Sony, Disney and Fox are relying on an irresponsible security contractor, Andrews International to provide security at many of their facilities.

Despite repeated concerns raised by security officers and SEIU, the nation's largest union of security officers, why have Sony, Disney, Fox and others in Hollywood continued to use a contractor who has a record that includes:

• Repeated, widespread and ongoing complaints of wage theft: Since 2004, employees sought redress in 9 separate wage and hour suits against the company and its subsidiaries and four cases, including two class action suits, are currently pending as of October 2009. Since 2005, Andrews has paid a cumulative $1.8 million to settle two previous class action lawsuits. Additionally, Andrews International employees have reported wage theft to state regulatory agencies in New York, New Jersey, Texas, and California.
• Complaints of alleged sexual harassment and racial discrimination: Since 2006, at least five former employees of Andrews International and its predecessors have sought redress in court for alleged sexual harassment in the workplace and three male African-American former employees of Andrews International and its predecessors-in-interest have filed separate lawsuits alleging discrimination. In both types of cases, all but one of the Andrews' workers who have brought these lawsuits allege that reporting the discrimination resulted in retaliation. Five harassment and discrimination lawsuits are pending as of October 2009.
• A record of dishonesty with public sector clients: Just in the last year, Andrews International submitted a bid to a public agency that failed to disclose required information regarding the company's performance history and legal compliance history. In another instance in New York City, Andrews was found in 2007 to have violated its contract with a public agency by failing to provide site supervision as required by the contract.

Unlike most workers in Hollywood, most security officers don't have a Union. Despite playing a critical role in ensuring public safety in our communities, these officers are forced to fight for the same kinds of basic benefits and rights already enjoyed by other workers in Hollywood.

Now, officers at Fox, Sony, Disney and other sites in Hollywood are joining with their fellow officers employed by Andrews International to form a Union with SEIU.

You can join their campaign to raise industry standards and help ensure security and justice for all. →