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GARDA Security Employees Speak Out About Their Complaints

by Garda Security News
I refused the Garda truck and they gave me a truck whose last line in the DVIR was "DO NOT DRIVE THIS TRUCK WE HAVE BEEN INHALING ANTIFREEZE ALL DAY"
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Thometra Allsmiles Robinson - Garda Georgia: Im so proud you guys!!!! I organized at my branch 2yrs ago and Im so thankful that the word is getting out! GREAT JOB!

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WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS YOUR HAVING AT GARDA

The corporation neglects the driver/messengers here. I see all of us driver messengers risking life of course to make this company money, but I see a "labor agreement" that offers no protection to employees and it appears it only really benefits the company the overtime issue of non payment of overtime after 50 hours is desighned proof of benefiting the corporation, the motor carriers act does allow this if you are operating a vehicle over 100001 pounds, but again we could be killed while working this ie accident or robery so it seems very uninterested in your safety and ability to provide for your family DONT schedule us for overtime unless requested! They have routes that are desighned for over 8 hours and they want you to not take a lunch or breaks the contract says to call to take a lunch so the company can Deduct your lunch, so your on the truck after 8 hours or within 8 hours, you want lunch, naturaly, and you call the branch and inform them, get your fast food crap thats no good for you and reboard and secure your truck and they DEDUCT your lunch? Isnt that FREE security for the company and are they already makeing this deduction??? I cant wait for an election!!

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PROBLEMS YOUR HAVING AT GARDA

My major concerns are with the trucks. Trucks barely have air conditioning. Temperatures in my cab reached 109*F a few days this summer. The garda peer committee helped us out by providing us with 12V fans. They also bought me storage bins to help sort my pickups.

My current truck has very loose steering and the air conditioner does not work after 5 hours on the road (I am normally on the road for 10-13). The messenger door is broken and is difficult to operate. This means I spend more time outside of the truck exposed while simply trying to get the door open. The rear door latch does not lock. I was provided with a padlock but somebody in the company stole it. There is also a nail in the tire that they have not fixed. My previous truck's tire was near failure (serious wear marks on the sides) and I was told by management and the "mechanic" (he is not a real mechanic) to just drive it. I refused the Garda truck and they gave me a truck whose last line in the DVIR was "DO NOT DRIVE THIS TRUCK WE HAVE BEEN INHALING ANTIFREEZE ALL DAY" After a 3-hour debacle with management trying to get me to take one of the two unsafe vehicles they took my partner away and sent a driver to drive the truck who did not care about the safety issues.

My route is too long. I barely make the deadlines when I am with my regularly scheduled partner (who is an expert at this particular run) and when he is absent it is nearly impossible to achieve perfection with a substitute.

Stop and shop policy makes us wait behind the customer service desk where we regularly have to scan bags of $20,000-$40,000 in cash in plain view in front of customers. This is a serious security issue and Garda needs to work with Stop and Shop to allow us into their cash office so we can keep the currency hidden from prying eyes.

http://www.gardasecurity.org/Garda-Security-Press-Release.pdf

Our Garda Security Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Campaign-to-Organize-Garda-Security-Garda-Cash-Logistics/441723799232474

Our Garda Security Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/GARDASECURITY

TAGS: Armored Car, Garda Cares, Garda Cash Logistics, Garda Complaints, Garda Drivers, Garda Global, Garda Messengers, garda physical security, Garda Security, Garda Union, Garda World Security Corporation, SPFPA,
§Another Garda Security Complaint
by Garda Security News
"This just show that Garda does not care for its employees or there customers deposits at all the only thing Garda cares for is Garda bottom line".

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Another GARDA SECURITY COMPLAINT:

I fell ill over the weekend and had to call in monday to see a doctor. Found out I have some type of virus in my lungs and was given a note by the doctor not to go into work untill wednesday. I called my branch and talked to my branch mananger only to find out the personal time off of 48 hours that is in our labor agreement can not be used at all for sick time. so I called our human resources to be told the same thing so my question to them was how do we use our personal time off? we have to have it approved by managment two weeks in advance was the answer I got. so then I asked our human resources what kind of sick pay do we have? the answer I was given was none there is no sick pay. so what this tells me is at Garda if an employee falls sick and has to miss work Garda willl not pay that employee. to put it another way Garda employees will fall short on there bills if they get sick. the only way we get our money to pay our bills for our familys is to work when we are sick. we work in an environment were we put our lives on the line going out of locations in hot and cold all day touching deposits that are covered in germs but when we get sick Garda offers us nothing. we have to continue to put ourselves in danger when we are not physically able to defend ourselvs from an outside attack. this just show that Garda does not care for its employees or there customers deposits at all the only thing Garda cares for is Garda bottom line.

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Due to FEAR and Retaliation From Garda Cash Logistics This Garda Security Driver / Messengers Identity was withheld.
With our campaign only 3 weeks old Garda Security begins its Union-Busting Campaign by having Chris Jamroz President and Chief Operating Officer at Garda Cash Logistics supposedly writing a letter to its 7500 employees explaining why Garda DON'T need to Unionize. In addition to the Union-Busting letters below, Garda Security also hired Projections Inc to produce a Union-Busting website for Garda employees to view. Many of the statements on Projections Inc / Garda's website are misleading with misrepresentation of facts while other parts of this Projections Inc / Garda Security Union-Busting website are filled with outright lies. Despite Garda Security - Garda Cash Logistics Union-Busting tactics we will continue to report the real problems Garda Security messengers and drivers face each day.

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Another Garda Security Union-Busting Letter

For more information on our National Campaign to Organize Garda Security please visit: www.GardaSecurity.org

http://www.gardasecurity.org/Garda-Security-Press-Release.pdf

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Our Garda Security Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Campaign-to-Organize-Garda-Security-Garda-Cash-Logistics/441723799232474

Our Garda Security Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/GARDASECURITY

Garda Security, Garda Cash Logistics, Garda Union-Busting Tactics, Chris Jamroz President and Chief Operating Officer at Garda Cash Logistics, Projections Inc, Union Busting Letter, Garda Union, SPFPA, Garda Global, Garda Complaints,
§Garda Security Employees at Bowie, MD SPEAK OUT About Their Complaints
by A Garda Security Messenger Bowie,MD
Attn: Human Garda Cash Logistic Security Resources Department

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The purpose of this letter is to bring to light serious violations of ethical standards, company policies, DOT regulations and State law that have been committed by the Garda security management at the Bowie, MD Branch. It is the common belief of the employee’s of this facility that the current management is ill-suited for their respective positions as they routinely demonstrate a lack of respect for employees, a general abuse of the authority inherent in their positions and a disregard for the safety and well being of their employees. Although a complete list of witnessed transgressions would be impractical in this format, it is necessary for illustration purposes to recap a sampling of some of the more serious violations committed.

********took charge of the facility as the Branch Manager in December of last year. Shortly thereafter, without warning, he unlawfully destroyed and discarded the personal locks affixed to employee’s lockers, emptied said lockers and left the contents unsecured in the facility break room, discarding some personal property in the process. This quickly demonstrated a lack of respect for the employee’s under his charge. Mr****** has hired premise guards for the facility, as new hires with no training or weapons experience, he issued them company handguns and demanded they carry them in performance of their duties despite the fact that these guards are not licensed to carry these weapons and doing so is a violation of MD state handgun law and additionally is contrary to a safe working environment to allow dangerous implements to be handled by individuals without the safety training or qualifications to do so. Mr. ****** routinely instructs employees to operate vehicles that are in unsafe operating condition, including vehicles with defective safety restraints, serious fluid leaks, and even one vehicle that has been missing the front bumper for months. As a demonstration of questionable ethical standards, Mr. *****and the Assistant Branch Manager, ********, held a conversation in the presence of multiple employees in which Ms. *******made a statement that she would like to fire the entire vault staff and start over. When these comments were reported to the vault staff, and members of the vault staff questioned the managers about it, both of them denied the statements, despite witnesses to the conversation and despite the fact that proven dishonesty is grounds for termination. It should also be noted that three members of the vault staff were later terminated for reasons relating to a relatively minor policy infraction regarding horseplay, presumably indicating that the managers in fact followed through on the intent of their conversation. In another instance of policy violation and questionable ethics, Mr. *******issued instructions and had employees sign statements indicating that they would not “drive and hop,” that is that a single employee would not function as both the driver and messenger on a route. Only weeks later due to scheduling issues management instructed an employee to violate this policy under threat of disciplinary action for insubordination. This act was clearly unethical, unsafe and blatantly hypocritical. As a final example of questionable activity, though many more could be provided, the Assistant Manager has submitted a doctor’s note that indicates that she is not fit to work on the trucks in any capacity. With these physical restrictions in effect she has left work early and informed employees that she is off to play softball, which would clearly require more physical exertion than simply driving a truck, and frankly borders on fraud.

Again these are merely examples of the types of behaviors that take place routinely at this facility which threaten safety in the workplace and make for a hostile environment. In response it would be prudent to at the very least send these managers to receive training in ethics and general management practices as well as transfer them to other facilities as they would be unlikely to ever regain the respect they have lost in their leadership positions in this branch. If these actions are not possible, then it may be appropriate for these managers to sever ties with this company.
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Club Saint James - 1145 Union Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Site of the SPFPA Union Protest on Wednesday, October 24, 2012 where Garda World Security Corporation plans to hold its special meeting of shareholders.

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Protesters will meet at 7:00 AM (Eastern Time) on Wednesday, October 24, 2012, at Club St-James, 1145 Union Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada to Protest Garda World Security Corporation Special Meeting in response to Garda Cash Logistics Union-Busting activities and Garda Security workers complaints and safety issues here in the United States. The SPFPA will be seeking the help of our friends at the UNI Global Union.

UNI Global Union is the voice of 20 million service sector workers around the world. Through 900 affiliated unions, UNI represents workers in 150 countries and in every region of the world. UNI represents workers in the Cleaning & Security; Commerce; Finance; Gaming; Graphical & Packaging; Hair & Beauty; ICTS; Media, Entertainment & Arts; Post & Logistics; Social Insurance; Sport; Temp & Agency Workers and Tourism industries.

Garda Files Management Information Circular for Special Meeting of Shareholders and Option Holders. Special Meeting to be held October 24, 2012 to approve the announced Plan of Arrangement Board of Directors recommends Shareholder and Option Holder Approval.

For more information on our National Campaign to Organize Garda Security please visit: www.GardaSecurity.org

http://www.gardasecurity.org/Garda-Security-Press-Release.pdf

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Our Garda Security Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Campaign-to-Organize-Garda-Security-Garda-Cash-Logistics/441723799232474

Our Garda Security Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/GARDASECURITY

Tags: Armored Car, Garda Cares, Garda Cash Logistics, Garda Drivers, Garda Global, Garda Messengers, garda physical security, Garda Security, Garda Union, Garda World Security Corporation, SPFPA, Club St-James 1145 Union Avenue, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Garda Security Protest
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Our clients of the law firm Breskin Johnson and Townsend filed this class action claim against their employer, Garda CL Northwest, Inc, an armored transport company, for altering time cards, denying rest and meal breaks, and requiring off-clock work. The company agreed to settle the time card claim and the court has certified a class of all Washington driver/messengers for the meal and rest break claims.

To view a document from this case, select from the list below:

Order Granting Class Certification

Complaint

OPENING BRIEF OF PETITIONER/CROSS-RESPONDENT

Petition For Review

The Law Firm who handled the above Garda CL Northwest, Inc Lawsuit.

Garda-Security-Washigton-Collective-Barg




HILL v. GARDA CL NORTHWEST, INC.

LAWRENCE HILL, ADAM WISE, and ROBERT MILLER, on their own behalves and on behalf of all persons similarly situated, Respondents,

v.

GARDA CL NORTHWEST, INC., f/k/a AT SYSTEMS, INC., a Washington corporation, Petitioner.

No. 66137-0-I.

Court of Appeals of Washington, Division One.

Filed: July 30, 2012.

Clarence M. Belnavis, Fisher & Phillips LLP, 111 Sw 5th Ave Ste 1250, Portland, OR, 97204-3604, Counsel for Petitioner.

Daniel Foster Johnson, Breskin Johnson & Townsend PLLC, 1111 3rd Ave Ste 2230, Seattle, WA, 98101-3292; Annette M. Messitt, Breskin Johnson & Townsend, 1111 3rd Ave Ste 2230, Seattle, WA, 98101-3213; Martin S. Garfinkel, Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, 810 3rd Ave Ste 500, Seattle, WA, 98104-1657; Adam J. Berger, Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, 810 3rd Ave Ste 500, Seattle, WA, 98104-1657, Counsel for Respondents.

OPINION

LEACH, C.J.

A court may not require a party to submit to class arbitration unless the party agreed to do so.1 Because the arbitration agreements central to this appeal are silent on the issue, the trial court erred by ordering the parties to submit their dispute to class arbitration. We reverse the trial court's order compelling class arbitration and remand for arbitration on an individual basis.

FACTS

Garda CL Northwest Inc. (Garda) is an armored transport company that employs over 100 armored truck crew members across Washington state. In February 2009, Lawrence Hill, Adam Wise, and Robert Miller (the employees) filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of themselves and others who worked for Garda as armored truck drivers in the state of Washington.2 The complaint alleged that Garda altered employee time records in order to reduce wages, denied employees meal and rest breaks, and failed to pay employees for "off-clock" work.

The applicable collective bargaining agreements required Garda employees to grieve and arbitrate "any claim under any federal, state, or local law . . . related to the employment relationship." In its April 2009 answer, Garda asserted that the employees' claims "must be resolved by arbitration" under the dispute resolution provisions of these agreements. Garda, however, did not move to compel arbitration for more than a year. In the meantime, the parties engaged in discovery. Then, toward the end of 2009, Garda and the employees "delayed significant investment in prosecuting and defending the case" during the adjudication of Pellino v. Brink's, Inc.,3 which presented similar claims regarding meal and rest breaks.

After a trial court issued a decision for the Pellino class in January 2010, Garda and the employees discussed settlement but did not reach an agreement. The employees moved for class certification in March 2010. Garda agreed to engage in mediation, but those efforts also failed. At Garda's request, the hearing on class certification was renoted three times. Then, on July 1, Garda moved to compel arbitration. The trial court heard the class certification motion on July 16 and certified the plaintiff class on July 23. At the hearing on Garda's motion to compel, the trial court ordered supplemental briefing on its authority to order class arbitration.

Read More About This Here:

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by Garda San Antonio branch
Garda San Antonio branch is located in the heart of the African American Community although the company doesn't hire African Americans. I have been with the company for 16 years and I would sign an affidavit stating in the past 16 years this branch has never had a black messenger. 16 years people! We have had a couple drivers on an average of one hired every 5 years. What would local politicians say about that if they knew a large company like Garda has an office in their back yard but fails to hire within the local community. I'm sure Garda gets a tax break for having their office in this part of town but that doesn't benefit the locals one bit.

My biggest complaint with the company is their false claim of supporting the troops. That's BS! I am a reservist in the armed forces who recently returned from a 13 month tour in Afghanistan. When I was there I wrote to the manager and gave him my address in theater. Not once did I hear from him or the company! Not once was a care package sent to me or my unit in theater. What support is that? I returned to work in May and in August I put in for some vacation time only to be told from the company that I couldn't take vacation because I didn't accrue vacation points while I was deployed to Afghanistan. Wow! What support is that? A 16 year loyal employee of Garda doesn't accrue vacation points when the call comes in for him or her to defend our country? I take serious offense to companies that claim to support our troops but treat them like crap!

____________________________________

Broken air conditioners in the trucks even in 100+ degree weather. Being told that we'll have to start cleaning toilets when it's not in my job description. Being put on a 2 year probation for making an error in the vault, and having to sign a paper saying that I give up rights to union representation for those two years. Being told that I am suspended from the vault and vault pay for six months, and still having to work in the vault doing the same job during that time, although I am supposedly suspended from the vault.

Also, the branch manager of any security company is supposed to keep track of when the gun cards expire and tell employees when they need to requalify. Not only do they not keep track of it and so we end up with a driver with no gun, but also they don't want to let us take a day off to go and requalify. One of my coworkers said he kept asking for a day off to requalify and being denied. His card expired, and when he went to talk to the branch manager because his paycheck was shorted (not related to the card expiring), the branch manager pointed out that his card was expired and he was lucky he still had a job.

The corporation neglects the driver/messengers here. I see all of us driver messengers risking life of course to make this company money, but I see a "labor agreement" that offers no protection to employees and it appears it only really benefits the company the overtime issue of non payment of overtime after 50 hours is desighned proof of benefiting the corporation, the motor carriers act does allow this if you are operating a vehicle over 100001 pounds, but again we could be killed while working this ie accident or robery so it seems very uninterested in your safety and ability to provide for your family DONT schedule us for overtime unless requested! They have routes that are desighned for over 8 hours and they want you to not take a lunch or breaks the contract says to call to take a lunch so the company can Deduct your lunch, so your on the truck after 8 hours or within 8 hours, you want lunch, naturaly, and you call the branch and inform them, get your fast food crap thats no good for you and reboard and secure your truck and they DEDUCT your lunch? Isnt that FREE security for the company and are they already makeing this deduction??? I cant wait for an election!!
by Concerned Garda Security Drivers and Messenge
On September 10, 2012 the International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America (SPFPA) the largest, oldest and fastest growing 9(b)3 Security Union in the world today has announced a National campaign to organize the 7,500 Garda security drivers, messengers and ATM Technicians working at 165 Garda Cash Logistics locations throughout North America.

Its Time for Every Garda Security Nationwide to Stand Up For There Rights and Demand the company continue to address the Safety Issues of Garda Security Drivers and Messengers.

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Tags: Garda Security, Garda Cash Logistics, Garda Security Safety Conditions, Garda Security Union, Garda Security Drivers and Messengers,
by Gardasucks
There's so many things wrong with Garda Greensboro, NC, that I don't know where to start.

Let's see.

1. They don't reimburse you for anything, and when they actually do it's a year and a half later.

2. They do not allocate their resources very well. When we have enough trucks to run routes effectively, they make sure we do not have enough people to run said routes. But when we have enough people, they make sure we don't have enough trucks to run the routes effectively.

3. The trucks are in horrible condition. Out of the 7 we have, only two have working air conditioners. Most have either bad brakes or bad tires or have massive oil leaks that are probably hazards to the environment. Sometimes you breath in antifreeze vapors from the a/c when you do get it to work.

4. They tell you to simply refuse a truck if you do not feel safe driving it. Well, if that was the case, most of us would never be able to work because we'd refuse these trucks everyday. If you refuse a truck you still get 4 hours pay but that's it. If you refuse enough times they will find a rule that everyone violates and terminate you because of it.

5. Garda spends money to weld the bulk head doors shut, which is completely unsafe, yet can not spend money to fix what is actually wrong with these trucks. On top of that, they only hire ONE mechanic to work on our trucks and he only does it one or two days a week, when most trucks are OUT ON ROUTE. They send this same mechanic to several of the other branches too. So, essentially, we only have one mechanic for four different branches. Needless to say our mechanic only puts on band aid fixes that last a day, or two at the most before the trucks fall apart again. They need to hire one more mechanic for our region at minimum.

6. They violate federal and state laws in regards to overtime. Garda has been sued several times because of this.

7. Garda bids on stops that are often times hours out of the way of any route we normally operate, or they agree to time constraints that are literally impossible to meet unless we unlock the keys to the universe and learn how to tele-port ourselves to these places.
by garda stinks
How is it people are using their cell phones and NOT working and get promoted? How are they breaking company policy and not getting fired? Why is it all the good employees are either fired or walk out on their jobs? I know 1 lazy cell phone user that needs to be canned and another who left 2.3 million in the back of a truck and did not get fired (nor did the vault person who was suppose to check in the 2.3 million). And only the messenger/driver got wrote up, not the vault person? Not to mention that the truck was backed up to a door that lead out to another property. I work my ass of and get no help from the lazy people, when I ask... They ignore me.. REALLY... I complain and nothing happens. For over a year I have complained about men using the women's restroom and nothing. I caught one guy and yelled at him and told the manager and, nothing.... I need an anonymous compliant line to go higher ..... ugggg
by Mike Noll (grison26934 [at] mypacks.net)
Its only a matter of time before a Garda Employee gets killed or kills someone. We drive the trucks which are in very poor shape anywhere from 12 to 17 hours per. day. Management does not want you to stop and take a break. We eat and drink as we drive. D.O.T. Regulations state that you are allowed to drive for 11 hours, not the 12 to 17 hours that Garda has you driving.

Garda has got to be the worst Armored Car Company to work for. Employee moral is low, management could care less about the employee's, emails and phone calls to management go unanswered, trucks are very dangerous to drive, most if not all the employee's have expired weapons cards, D.O.T. Physicals are overdue, low pay for a very dangerous job, employee's are overworked( working 80 hours per. week)!!

If you want to live a long and healthy life, stay away from Garda, it will KILL YOU!!
by Krystal
First of all our branch manager doesn't know how to do his job. He never has a clue about things and his hardly there and the manager form the volt doesn't do anything either but flurt with the cvs manager. Me and my partner do past 12 hours we do our route and other routes stops like ATMs because they don't know how to do them. Me and my partner work well together but recently they've been trying to split us. I don't know why the discriminate and try to figure out ways to break us, we bust our souls for this company we do our long as route and on top of that get back to the shop and do the managers job stay til close time clean because they have a mess. And even though I bust my soul and because I'm speaking up they're cutting me days??? I used to work all seven days, I got in a bad accident but came back to work to help them and in pain and they worked me everyday and now they're only giving me two days to work?? This is rediculous the trucks are in horrible shape the only reason they get fixed is because my partner is on it and only me and him take them to the macanics and are on them to get fixed. They don't pay overtime, they're lazy and ignorant I work for they're benefit and yet they're still trying to down me like this. They're bugs crawling all over this place, trucks we inhale coolant and unsafe trucks, with horrible personal management.
by Howard
I was treated unfairly. Was suspended for things that were not my fault. They have not heard from them since then.
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