In Philadelphia, food service workers at the Wells Fargo Center are on a one-day strike while contract negotiations continue with Aramark, the concession operator at the stadium. Approximately 400 members of Unite Here union local 274, including cooks, servers, bartenders and concession staff, began picketing early in the day in the arena’s parking lot. They are urging fans not to purchase food or concessions from Aramark and instead suggest eating elsewhere.
The workers are protesting against wages and benefits that they say are not keeping up with inflation. Some employees who work at multiple stadiums in the area report earning different hourly wages at each location. Additionally, union members claim they are treated as seasonal workers rather than year-round employees based on different sports seasons. Randi Trent, an Aramark caterer with 23 years of experience is participating in the strike to fight for better health care and wages for all workers. She shared that she earns $8 an hour and relies on gratuities which are often low.
Chris Collom, a spokesperson for Aramark stated that the company is committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a mutually beneficial settlement. He assured that contingency plans were in place to ensure services were not disrupted during Tuesday night’s game although specific details were not disclosed. The union has been demanding better pay and working conditions for its members for months now but so far their demands have fallen on deaf ears. The strike is expected to continue until a satisfactory agreement is reached between the union and Aramark.
