Red Sox fans making their way around Boston’s 113-year-old MLB ballpark Friday in search of food and drinks will encounter a challenging situation.
In a historic move, Fenway Park concession and restaurant workers have gone on strike as the Red Sox open a three-game series with the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Boston Friday evening.
The labor stoppage comes after a 12 p.m. deadline passed to reach a new collective bargaining agreement with Aramark, the company many employees inside the ballpark and the neighboring MGM Music Hall work for.
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Staff who are represented by the UNITE HERE Local 26 union include cooks, barbacks, souvenir vendors, utility workers, cashiers and others who work at the ballpark and the nearby music venue.
Earlier this week, concession and restaurant workers at Fenway Park and the music hall encouraged fans to purchase their preferred beverage or food item outside the gates of the ballpark as workers threatened to picket.
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A labor union spokesperson clarified that the workers’ move to strike is not a show of disrespect toward the baseball team or the fans. Instead, their issue starts and ends with the concessionaire.
“We’re not against the Red Sox. We’re not against the fans. This is a situation with a concessionaire, a concessionaire who is trying to pay bottom dollar. A concessionaire not willing to deal with technology issues, and it frankly, I think, undermines the quality of the park,” said Carlos Aramayo, Local 26 president.
“The culture of this place is you want a guy with a Boston accent to hand you a Sam Adams and not a robot.”
“We have bargained in good faith and are disappointed the union rejected our latest offer and chose to call a strike,” Aramark said in a statement. “We are committed to delivering an outstanding fan experience and have contingency plans in place to ensure fans will not encounter service interruptions.”
Last month, Aramark employees and members of UNITE HERE Local 26 voted in favor of an unprecedented labor strike, The Boston Herald reported.
“Aramark and the union did not make significant progress towards an agreement during their latest bargaining session, which took place last week,” the union said at the time.
“As a result … Fenway workers are ready to go on strike for the first time in the 113-year-old history of America’s favorite ballpark.”
The most recent contract between the workers and the employer expired nearly seven months ago.
The employees argue they are “fighting” for multiple “key demands” in a potential new deal. In addition to higher wages, workers want to see “guardrails on automation” and the implementation of a scheduling system that “respects workers’ seniority.”
According to Local 26, cashiers at Fenway Park make $18.52 an hour, while workers at the Miami Marlins LoanDepot Park in Miami who hold the same job title are paid $21.25 per hour.
“The union representing Aramark’s concessions employees has moved forward with a strike action beginning today. While the Boston Red Sox are not a party to these negotiations, we continue to stay in close communication with Aramark,” the Red Sox said.
“They’ve assured us that they remain engaged in good faith discussions and had extended a new offer as recently as last night, which was unfortunately rejected by the union. Aramark has implemented its contingency staffing plans, and fans can expect a full and uninterrupted ballpark experience this weekend, including access to all food, beverage and hospitality services throughout Fenway Park. We remain hopeful that the parties will reach a swift and fair resolution.”
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