Demands for affordable health care, better wages and safer workplaces may soon have private security workers in the Twin Cities walking picket lines instead of protecting buildings.

On Saturday, security officers represented by the Service Employees International Union voted to authorize their bargaining committee to call a strike if necessary.

Union officials, however, said a strike won't be called at least until after a Friday bargaining session with representatives of the private security companies.

"We're very far apart, they haven't proposed anything economically," said Javier Morilla-Alicea, the president of SEIU Local 26.

Guy Thomas, a spokesperson for the security companies, said the strike vote won't affect plans to negotiate on Friday and on Feb. 27.

Union-represented security officers have been without a contract since Jan. 1.

Mike Kipka, a security officer at Block E, said he and his colleagues often deal with disorderly patrons at the downtown Minneapolis shopping/entertainment facility.

"We put ourselves in potentially dangerous situations every day in order to uphold public safety," he said. "Yet we're not given proper equipment, training or pay."

The average security officer is paid $11.76 per hour and the vast majority of them do not have health insurance, according to union officials.

Thomas said the two sides were far apart. He said the union's proposal includes a 125 percent increase in wages and an increase in health care costs to management.

"The union's made a proposal that we don't believe is realistic in today's economy," Thomas said.

Jeff Shelman • 612-673-747