BALTIMORE — Abacus security officers in Baltimore partnered up with union SEIU 32BJ, fighting for PTO, healthcare, retirement, and overall better working conditions.
WATCH: Security officers prepared to strike, demanding better working conditions
"I need healthcare, and I want it now. I need vacation, and I want it now," said worker Laura Dixon.
Workers like Dixon said the company has long since left them out to dry.
"I have a cane; I have no healthcare. Do you know how scary that is to not have healthcare? I can't even get a Pap smear; I can't even get a mammogram if I wanted to, so I'm fighting for that."
Laverna Stackhouse told a similar story.
"I have hypercpamptia, and my medicine is a lot, and right now I don't have any insurance at all, so I'm depending on them to help out with that good health insurance that we can afford because right now we can't afford it," Stackhouse said. "I went to the emergency room, and they sent me a bill for almost $2,000 and I'd have to pay that. And now my refills are almost done, but I have to skip a day to take my high-pressure pills."
Abacus disagrees with those allegations.
A spokesperson sent WMAR 2 News a statement saying,
"For over 80 years, Abacus has been a highly responsible employer based in Baltimore and cares deeply about our employees. Abacus recently negotiated a new agreement with the city that provided a 20% pay increase for each employee, resulting in among the highest wages for any unarmed security officers in the region.
In addition, Abacus offers affordable health insurance, as defined by the ACA, dental, vision, and short-term disability insurance. Each of our employees also receives paid time off as required by the Maryland Healthy Working Families Act. Anyone who claims otherwise is not telling the truth.
We have always advocated for and highly prioritized employee welfare and have done so in a direct relationship with our employees and intend to continue to do so."
SEIU 32BJ Vice President Jaime Contreras called that statement laughable.
"A bogus healthcare plan with high premiums, high co-pays, high deductibles, with the wages workers make, is not real healthcare. And even after your benefits kick in, workers have to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket, and these people can't afford to do that," Contreras said. "What Abacus is doing is giving people the bare minimum that they're required by law, which is what the Maryland sick and safety law requires them to do, which is five or seven days a year, and workers shouldn't have to choose between going sick and vacation."
The workers said they are prepared to go on a strike if their demands are not met.
"We work hard, and we deserve what we're supposed to have, and it's not that hard for them to help us."
