Workers at Fenway Park Issue Threat of Unlimited Strike against Aramark
Negotiations between UNITE HERE Local 26 and food and beverage vendor Aramark remain unresolved as the union's strike enters its third week. The union, representing hundreds of concession workers, has been pushing for better pay, fairer scheduling, and a ban on automation since their contract expired at the end of 2024.
The strike began on July 25, 2025, during a major Red Sox series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The union walked off the job for three days, with some replacement workers reportedly getting involved in confrontations with picketing union members outside the stadium after Saturday's game. Aramark hired replacement workers for the series, but the strike could potentially last as long as the regular season, according to the union's authorization.
The union's demands come after a year of ongoing negotiations, with the two sides meeting only once since the union approved a strike authorization on June 15, 2025. The negotiations may follow a similar pattern as the strike in Philadelphia's stadium complex in late September 2024, which lasted for four days before a new contract was agreed upon in April 2025.
Union members have expressed disappointment with Aramark's response to their requests. Peter Dankens, a long-time union member, was surprised by a comment from an Aramark negotiator suggesting that union members make enough money. Dankens also expressed his disappointment with Aramark's response to the union's request to make Juneteenth a paid holiday. He believes that Aramark's delay in discussing a national holiday in honor of people of color is disrespectful to people of color who work at Fenway Park.
Aramark did not respond to a request for comment regarding the ongoing negotiations. Unite Here Local 26 will give Aramark a formal notice of a potential strike on Wednesday, August 12, 2025, during the Red Sox's game against the Kansas City Royals. The union has warned that another strike could occur due to a failure to reach a satisfactory agreement, indicating that negotiations are still stalled and that no new contract has yet been finalized.
As of early August 2025, the current status is that negotiations are ongoing but stalled, with prior and possible future strikes signaling strong union dissatisfaction and no new labor contract reached yet.
References
[1] Boston Globe
[2] CBS Boston
People in Boston are deeply engaged in ongoing negotiations between Unite Here Local 26 and food and beverage vendor Aramark, which have been stalled since the union's contract expired at the end of 2024. The impasse has led to sports-related disruptions, such as a potential second strike during a major baseball game between the Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals in early August 2025. This dispute in commerce, concerning concession workers at Fenway Park, has also raised issues about fair scheduling, better pay, automation ban, and cultural sensitivity related to the recognition of Juneteenth as a paid holiday.
