Aramark workers are heading to the picket line on Monday in Philadelphia. (6abc)
This story originally appeared on 6abc.
Union Aramark workers are set to strike against all three stadiums at the Philadelphia Sports Complex starting on Monday.
That includes the Wells Fargo Center, Citizens Bank Park, and Lincoln Financial Field.
Leaders with Unite Here Local 274– Philadelphia’s food service workers’ union — said those on the picket lines include cooks, servers, bartenders, dishwashers, concessions workers, cleaners, retail workers, and warehouse workers employed by Aramark.
This comes after Aramark employees from the Wells Fargo Center, Citizens Bank Park, and Lincoln Financial Field all voted in favor of authorizing a strike.
Union leaders say workers want family-sustaining wage increases and year-round health care benefits from company leaders.
The union also previously said different rules and wage rates are used for each of the three stadiums, despite similar job responsibilities for the same employer.
Strike organizers also noted that this decision was made after Mayor Cherelle Parker struck a deal with the 76ers for a new arena in Center City.
“Before we even talk about building a new arena, we need to make sure that stadium food service jobs are good jobs,” Tiffani Davis, an Aramark concessions worker, wrote in a statement.
Despite the strike, union leaders asked fans to continue enjoying events at the Philadelphia Sports Complex but to boycott buying food and drinks from Aramark. Instead, the union suggested fans could tailgate.
Aramark released the following statement in response to the upcoming strike:
“Aramark has bargained in good faith with UNITE HERE Local 274 for over six months. In the five-week period since the union rejected our offer, they have chosen to strike without making any substantive changes to their position. They continue to engage in non-productive tactics choosing to strike again and continuing to seek a boycott of Aramark’s services.
We value our associates and are proud of the wage progression that has occurred over the past five years. In fact, the average total income inclusive of wages and tips for this group of employees have risen by 61% over the past five years.
We also continue to offer enhanced benefits as part of the current negotiations with the union. In our last offer, Aramark agreed to two of the union’s benefit eligibility demands: (1) we will count hours worked across all three Philadelphia Sports Complex locations; and (2) we will remove any caps on the number of eligible participants. The result is that all employees who work approximately 28 hours a week per year across any of those locations would have access to healthcare, dental, vision and short-term disability benefits.
Strikes hurt employees the most and during the last strike at the Wells Fargo Center in April 2024, hundreds of associates crossed the picket line and decided not to participate in the strike and, instead, worked their regularly scheduled shifts. We want to thank them again for their commitment and dedication to the 76ers and their incredible fans.
Going forward, we intend to continue to bargain in good faith for the benefit of all involved. It is our sincere hope that the union will do the same. In the meantime, we have contingency plans in place for any future strikes and will remain focused on delivering a high-quality guest and fan experience.”