Security guards at several state offices on strike

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A union says 40 private security guards who work at several state agencies based in Hartford are on a one-day strike.

The Service Employees International Union says the guards are demanding that their employer, state contractor SOS Security, make pension contributions required by its contract with the state. They walked off their jobs on Thursday.

A man who answered the phone at the East Parsippany, N.J., company declined to comment.

Workers at buildings housing state agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Office of Policy and Management earn $9.56 to $12 an hour. They say they can't afford health insurance offered to them and often rely on state taxpayer-funded health insurance and other public assistance.