Security workers in Miami went on strike on Wednesday, claiming that government contractor withheld as much as $100,000 from their paychecks. The unpaid wages are allegedly owed to the workers for protecting city sites such as the Miami marinas and City Hall.

According to the workers, Kent Security Services failed to abide by its obligations under Miami's Living Wage Ordinance. The Service Employees International Union and the city's procurement office submitted complaints regarding the alleged wage violation, which were signed by 12 security guards.

According to the Miami Herald, the workers' complaint says Kent had been paying them $11.14 per hour plus health insurance for work provided over the last two years. The city had required all workers to be paid $11.66 per hour prior to April, when the city began requiring all contractors pay employees a minimum of $11.82 per hour. Employees without health insurance had been required to be paid $12.91 per hour.

Under the updated ordinance, government contractors are to pay service workers a minimum of $11.82 per hour if they receive health benefits and $13.07 if they don't. Kent currently pays employees without health insurance $12.40 per hour. According to the workers, some of those with benefits were only being paid $11.04 per hour.

According to Kent Security Services, the company is complying with its contractual obligations. According to a company spokesman, the company has consistently paid the wage rates specified in its contract, and has increased wages as the City has specified each year.

Miami officials are now investigating the worker's complaint

Source: Miami Herald, "City proving whether security contractor broke living-wage law," Lidia Dinkova, August 16, 2011.