June 20, 1996 * Vol . 6, No. 4
New security agency takes over campus beat
A new company - Group 4 C.P.S. - has taken over as the provider of uniformed
patrol guards on Simon Fraser University's Burnaby Mountain campus.
Group 4 assumed a three-year contract on June 1 after winning a tendering
process which attracted bids from nine companies, including Barnes Security
which had held the SFU contract for five years.
Headquartered in The Netherlands, Group 4 is one of the largest security
companies in the world. Its Canadian arm, Group 4 C.P.S., is based in Toronto.
SFU's contract encompasses 24 uniformed patrol guards who perform a wide
variety of duties ranging from traffic and parking control to safety escorts
and the locking and unlocking of offices and buildings on campus.
Group 4 interviewed all of Barnes' SFU patrol guards and most were offered
jobs at comparable rates of pay. Nine Barnes staff members accepted offers
to remain at SFU. All Group 4 guards are members of the United Plant Workers
of America, local 1812.
Four shift supervisors, all SFU employees, oversee the Group 4 patrol guards,
as well as 40 student patrollers.
Nick Coutu, director of campus security, describes the shift in contractors
as smooth, with little or no disruption. "We will miss those people
who have left us, but we are excited about the new expertise and look forward
to providing even better service," he adds. u
© Simon Fraser University, Media and Public Relations