Labor Unrest at Fenway Park: Concession Staff Walk Out During Red Sox-Dodgers Game
Union Strike at Fenway Park Disrupts Gameday Experience
Unionized members of Unite Here Local 26 have launched a strike at Fenway Park, marking the first labor dispute in the 113-year history of the iconic baseball venue. The union, representing concession workers, is demanding better wages, a seniority-based scheduling system, and protections against automation technologies.
The strike, which began after Aramark, the park's concession contractor, did not offer a new labor contract, has affected the traditional Fenway gameday experience. However, both Aramark and the Red Sox organization have assured fans that they can expect a full and uninterrupted ballpark experience, including access to all food, beverage, and hospitality services throughout the park.
The union's demands include wage increases to keep up with the cost of living in the Boston region, better scheduling based on seniority, and better gratuity for workers in Fenway's premium sections. They are also seeking guardrails against the use of automation, citing concerns about potential issues such as alcohol being sold to minors or overserved patrons.
Aramark has implemented contingency staffing plans by bringing in replacement workers to handle cooking and serving duties. The company has publicly stated it will not implement a full overhaul of staff in favor of machines. However, the union claims that pay for Fenway employees is lower compared to other MLB venues and other unionized workers across the city.
The strike is taking place ahead of the Boston Red Sox's weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Philadelphia strike, which lasted only four days, serves as a precedent, with the second labor strike by sports hospitality workers against Aramark taking place in September 2024 in Philadelphia. Some members of Unite Here's Philadelphia chapter, Local 274, picketed the company at the city's stadium district.
Workers have warned they may walk out again if a satisfactory deal is not reached soon. Aramark has expressed disappointment about the strike but reaffirmed its willingness to negotiate in good faith to resolve the situation. The union, on the other hand, has asked fans not to buy food and drinks from non-unionized staffers inside Fenway during the strike.
The previous contract between the concession workers and Aramark expired on Dec. 31, 2024. The new contracts, agreed upon in April for each of the city's Aramark serviced major sports venues, include new hourly wage minimums for non-tipped employees, which will rise to at least $24 per hour in 2029. Fans cannot bring in cans, bottles, or glass containers, but they can bring in sealed 16-oz. plastic bottles of water from outside Fenway Park. Outside alcohol is not allowed and hard-sided coolers are prohibited.
Aramark's stock price closed Friday at $43.89 per share, up 1.15%. Hours after Local 26 announced its strike deadline, Aramark declared a quarterly dividend of 10.5 cents per share of common stock. The union's strike at Fenway Park is a significant development in the ongoing negotiations between the union and Aramark, and fans and workers alike are eagerly awaiting a resolution to the dispute.
- The union, representing concession workers at Fenway Park, is not only demanding better wages and a seniority-based scheduling system, but also protections against the use of automation technologies in the commerce sector, citing concerns about potentially serving alcohol to minors or overserved patrons.
- In the midst of the baseball season and ahead of a weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball fans may find their sports experience disrupted by the ongoing labor dispute between unionized concession workers and Aramark, the park's concession contractor, as the union continues to press for higher wages, better scheduling, and protections against automation.
