Travelers through Denver International Airport at lunchtime Friday saw something unusual: security officers protesting instead of protecting.

According to a press release, they marched through the Jeppsen Terminal demanding the city of Denver require its contractors to pay officers the same as such airport workers as custodians and parking attendants.

“In a city so robust and prosperous, no one should be living out of their car while working to protect the nation’s sixth-largest airport,” said Angela Gomez, a private security officer at the airport.

Security officers are “increasingly taking on roles similar to that of TSA and Denver police officers,” the press release said.

“The job we do here at the airport, as first-responders, as security officers, is that of being the eyes and ears of the airport,” stated Julius Malloy, a security officer at DIA for five years. “The way we’re treated needs to be turned around. With both me and my wife working, it’s still very hard to live with the increased cost of living, trying to get on top of monthly bills and trying to save some money.”

The city of Denver contracts with the private companies that hire, train and pay the security officers workers. But because of higher hourly contract allocations for other “essential” workers, janitors and parking lot workers earn more than security. “This has created a high rate of turnover and under-staffing in the airport security force,” the campaign said in its press release. “The city of Denver needs to act now to allow a fair contracting policy to improve working conditions and safety at DEN.”

According to figures released by the security officers, the city allocates private contractors $21.42 an hour of security workers, but $24.15 an hour for parking attendants and $26.80 an hour for custodians. Employers take a cut of that before paying wages to the workers.