Security during labor disputes and civil unrest

A strike at one of your sites, a protest outside your building, or unrest in the surrounding area can raise the same question for a property owner or manager: what should security do? Private security's role is specific and valuable: it protects people and property, and it does that in a way that respects the rights of the people on the other side of the fence. This guide sets out what private security can do, what it cannot, and how to plan so that everyone stays safe and the situation does not get worse.

This is general information, not legal advice. Labor law questions, including what you may and may not do during a strike or organizing activity, should go to labor counsel before the dispute begins.

What security can do

Handled well, security keeps a site running and the people on it safe:

Protect the property. Watch entrances, the perimeter, parking areas, vehicles, and equipment on the owner's property, and report damage or attempted entry.
Control access. Check employees who are working, vendors, deliveries, and visitors in at the owner's entrances, against a list the owner provides.
Help people come and go safely. Accompany staff or visitors to and from their cars or a transit stop when they ask for it or when tension is high.
Stay calm and neutral. A courteous, predictable presence helps keep things steady. Officers can give a short, agreed answer if asked why they are there, such as "We are here for the safety of the property and everyone around it."
Call for help early. Report criminal damage, blocked emergency access, or a threat to the police liaison or to 911, rather than trying to handle it themselves.
Keep a factual record. Log incidents that affect safety or property, as described below.

Where the line sits

Private security officers are not police. They do not have police powers, and they should not act as if they do. In practice that means:

They do not break up a lawful protest or picket line, or move people off public sidewalks and streets.
They do not take sides, argue, or engage with slogans or signs.
They do not investigate or keep files on the people involved in a lawful strike or protest.
They do not take phones or cameras from anyone.
They do not handle crowd control on public property, road closures, or arrests. Those belong to the police.

A crime in progress, a threat to someone's safety, or a medical emergency goes to 911.

Respecting lawful protest and labor rights

People have the right to protest peacefully, and employees have rights during a labor dispute. The National Labor Relations Board explains that federal labor law protects employees' right to strike, with limits and qualifications that it says call for competent advice. The NLRB also lists, among the things employers may not do, spying on union activity or photographing or videotaping employees engaged in peaceful union or other protected activity.

That has a direct effect on how security is set up. Rules about where officers stand, what they record, and what they say should be decided with the owner's labor counsel before the first shift, and officers should be briefed on them. A security presence that looks like surveillance of lawful activity can create legal problems for the owner and raise tension on the line.

Coordination with law enforcement

Police manage public streets and sidewalks, respond to crimes, and make any arrests. Security works on the owner's property and supports that response. Before a planned strike date or announced protest, it usually helps for one person on the owner's side, often with counsel, to contact the local police department's non-emergency line and share the basics: the address, the expected dates, who the liaison is, and how to reach the security lead.

When unrest affects a wider area, follow instructions from local officials, including curfews and road closures. Your city or county emergency management office is the source for those; USA.gov keeps a directory of state emergency management agencies that can point you to local offices.

Documentation

A good incident log is short, factual, and neutral. It records the date and time, the location, what happened, who was notified, and what was done. It focuses on events that affect safety and property: a broken window, a blocked fire lane, an injury, a call to police.

It should not become a record of who attended a lawful picket or protest. Decide with counsel what gets recorded, whether cameras are used and where they point, who keeps the log, and how long it is kept. Those decisions belong to the owner and counsel, and security follows them.

Planning ahead

Most of the work happens before the first day. Owners and managers usually want to decide:

Who on the owner's side makes decisions for security, and who is the backup.
Which entrances will be used by working employees, vendors, and deliveries, and at what times.
What officers will say if someone asks why they are there, and who handles questions from the press.
Whether officers will be in uniform or plain clothes. A visible, uniformed presence can be reassuring, and it should always be calm and courteous.
Whether any post needs to be armed. Most do not; see armed vs. unarmed security.
How staff will be kept informed, and how anyone who feels unsafe can ask for an escort.

If the dispute involves heightened concern about a specific person, a planned termination, or threats, see high-risk terminations and corporate and workplace security.

When unrest is nearby rather than aimed at you

Sometimes a property is simply in an area where demonstrations or unrest are happening. People come first: it may make sense to close early, move staff out before streets close, or let people work from home. Property can be replaced. If buildings in the area have been damaged, the same steps that apply after a storm or fire apply here; see securing a property after a flood, storm, or fire, and keep the disaster security planning checklist on hand.

Example (hypothetical)

Workers at a regional distribution center announce a strike beginning on a set date, with a picket line expected on the public sidewalk at the main gate. Before the date, the company's labor counsel sets ground rules: officers stay on company property, do not photograph or record the picket line, and keep a written log only of incidents that affect safety or property. A company operations manager contacts the local police non-emergency line to share the dates and a point of contact.

During the strike, officers at the gate check in working employees, vendors, and deliveries, keep the company's driveway and fire lane clear, and greet everyone the same way. When a delivery truck cannot get through safely, the lead calls the police liaison rather than stepping into the street. The log for the week shows two entries: a damaged fence panel and a minor traffic delay at the gate.

Talk it through

TB Defense is based in Chicago and led by a Chicago Police officer with 20 years of service, with protection that travels locally, nationally, and internationally. If a labor dispute, protest, or unrest may affect your property or people, send us the location, the dates, and what you are concerned about, and we will build a calm, proportionate plan that works with your counsel. Read more about disaster and emergency security and corporate security, or Get protected.

Sources

Common questions

Can security guards remove protesters?

Not from public property. Sidewalks, streets, and other public spaces are for police to manage, and people have the right to protest there peacefully. On private property, officers can pass on the owner's request that people leave and, if someone refuses or there is a threat, call the police. Officers do not use force to move people engaged in lawful protest.

Can security photograph or record a picket line?

Treat that as a legal question for labor counsel before the dispute begins. The National Labor Relations Board lists photographing or videotaping employees engaged in peaceful union or other protected activity among the things employers may not do. Any recording policy should come from counsel, not from the security team.

Should security be armed during a strike or protest?

Usually not. Most posts at a labor dispute or protest are unarmed, because the aim is a calm, visible presence that protects people and property. Whether any post is armed is decided during scoping, based on the specific situation, the property owner's wishes, and local rules.

Who calls the police?

Agree on it in advance. Typically one named person on the owner's side is the liaison with the local police department. Anyone, including a security officer, calls 911 for an emergency, a crime in progress, or an immediate threat to someone's safety.

Security during labor disputes, protests, and civil unrest: what private security can and cannot do