Dodger Stadium Concession Workers Plan Strike: ‘No Worker Should Have To Continue Living Like This’
On Sunday, 99% of concession workers at Dodger Stadium, which include almost 1,500 “food servers, bartenders, suite attendants, cooks and dishwashers,” voted to authorize a strike ahead of the MLB All-Star Game celebrations, which commence on Saturday.
The statement, released on Twitter by UNITE HERE Local 11 representative Maria Hernandez, declares, “The workers seek a fair new union contract,” and explains that an “overwhelming majority of [these workers] are […] of color.”
The union represents “over 32,000 hospitality workers in Southern California and Arizona.”
Workers like Laura Ortiz, who’s been working at the stadium for 15 seasons, says that she’s had to “pick up shifts at the Rose Bowl just to make ends meet.”
Their employers, Compass Groups and Levy Restaurants, have yet to comment. “Our company can do better,” Ortiz added.
Sylvia Sosa, who has bartended for 46 seasons at Dodger Stadium said, “I want our company, Compass/Levy, to recognize our worth and raise standards for all of its stadium workers.”
The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) released a statement in solidarity with the Dodger Stadium concession workers, stating, “They deserve to be treated fairly and will continue to have the 1,200 members of the MLBPA behind them.”
Co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, Susan Minato, had the final word. She expressed her support of the Dodger Stadium workers, calling them “the backbone of our tourism and sports industry” while highlighting the harsh realities of their lives.
“They often live with economic uncertainties because the quality of jobs vary from stadium to stadium,” she begins. “No worker should have to continue living like this.”
We agree. The strike is authorized and can be expected to start at any moment.
