SooToday.com files complaint against security guard

SooToday News has filed a formal complaint today with Ontario's Registrar of Private Investigators and Security Guards over the conduct of a security guard working at a Community Living Algoma picket line on Bruce Street.

The guard (shown) refused to comply this morning with our reporter's request to inspect his identification card issued under the Private Investigators and Security Guards Act.

Subsection 25(2) of the Act requires that "every private investigator shall, while investigating, carry the identification card issued to him or her under this Act and shall produce it for inspection at the request of any person."

It's routine practise at SooToday News to require security guards working on labour disputes to produce identification so we can determine who they are and for whom they are working.

In this case, the guard shown in our photograph produced a document with what appeared to be photo identification for a second or two, but withdrew it before we were able to read a single word.

'You don't need to know my name'

He refused two subsequent requests to allow us to inspect the document.

"You don't need to know my name," the individual told us.

"What are you going to do? Harass my family?"

Our encounter with the guard was videotaped by striking members of Local 1880 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

Another guard working the picket line produced his identification card and allowed us to inspect it.

Security firm specializes in labour disputes

The guards work for London Protection International of London, Ontario.

The security company's website indicates that the firm "specializes in providing labour dispute contingency planning, transportation services, strike security and photography."

"Our objective is to assist our clients in successfully servicing their customers during a labour conflict. Our services are conducted while maintaining optimum safety and positive post-strike relations," the website says.

Operated in Alberta without required licence

In 1999, London Protection International was hired by the Calgary Herald to assist in a labour dispute involving the Graphic Communications International Union (GCIU) and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers.

"Alberta officials discovered that the Ontario-based security firm, London Protection International, does not hold the required Alberta license," the GCIU reports. When SooToday googled the company's name today we found a lot of less-than-complimentary hits on organized labour and leftist websites.

Further reading

SooToday.com cannot vouch for the accuracy of all of the information on these links.

We expect our readers will use all necessary caution in critically evaluating what they read, both here on SooToday and elsewhere.

The Internationalist Eye Weekly (Toronto) Eye Weekly (Second article) Service Employees International Union Graphic Communications International Union