Sweatshop Skyscraper: The Empire State Building

It’s truly a wonder that we pay so little to security workers at the Empire State Building – surely among the topmost terrorist targets in the country – they’ve become yet another symbol of worker exploitation in America.

The security workforce at the ESB, which is largely African American, luckily has a great union in the form of the SEIU Local 32BJ. They’ve just put out a press release detailing the pathetic underpayment of workers ($9/hr. without any benefits) by Copstat and real estate mogul Peter Malkin.

"Being a security officer is one of the few non-fast food jobs available in working-class African-American communities," said Hazel Dukes, President of the NAACP New York State Chapter. "Security companies like Copstat exploit this situation by paying low wages that keep our communities in poverty. These officers deserve to make sufficient, stable wages to provide for themselves and their families."

Is there a corollary to the outsourcing of our ports here in New York City? Or the lack of real security, or even understandable public announcements, on our subways? Sure, because in all these cases, small groups of wealthy insiders are profiting at the expense of the public’s safety. When will Americans wake up and demand better? With Bush garnering 34 percent approval ratings this week, I hope it a sign that Americans smell the coffee.

By the way, the Feb. 28 rally for those security officers in New York coincided with a similar action in Los Angeles led by civil rights veteran, Reverend James M. Lawson, outside the tallest building west of the Mississippi, Library Tower, which was supposedly the recent target of a terrorist plot, according to President Bush. Nonetheless, at the Library Tower we have shortchanged facility security by exploiting workers. A National Day of Action will be held in cities across the country on April 4th.