On Monday, September 23, 2024, hundreds of Aramark workers went on strike outside the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, which includes Citizens Bank Park, Wells Fargo Center, and Lincoln Financial Field.
The strike, organized by the union UNITE HERE Philly Local 274, involves food service and retail employees, including cooks, servers, bartenders, dishwashers, concession workers, cleaners, and others, all employed by Aramark.
And they’re protesting for better pay and healthcare benefits.
Nonetheless, the main issue is that Aramark, a company that handles food and drinks at all three stadiums, hasn’t provided what the workers are asking for.
Naturally, workers want raises to help with the rising cost of living and healthcare coverage that’s easier to get.
One of the union’s biggest complaints is that Aramark counts the hours worked at each stadium separately, which means many employees don’t work enough at one place to qualify for health insurance.
The union wants Aramark to combine the hours worked at all the stadiums and lower the requirements so more people can get benefits.
More than a thousand workers joined the strike, which started early Monday morning and continued throughout the day.
However, this isn’t the first time Aramark workers have gone on strike. Back in April 2024, workers at the Wells Fargo Center protested.
Now, the strike includes employees from all three stadiums in the complex.
Aramark responded, saying they’ve been negotiating with the union for over six months and already made changes, like agreeing to count hours across all three stadiums and allowing more employees to qualify for benefits.
They also mentioned that wages and tips have increased by 61% over the past five years. Even so, the company is frustrated that the union rejected their latest offer and decided to strike again.
Despite the strike, Aramark has kept things running by bringing in non-union workers to keep concessions open at the stadiums.
Meanwhile, the union asks fans to support them by not buying food or drinks during games. To support the cause, they suggest fans eat before coming to the stadiums.
The strike affects stadium events, like the Phillies’ game against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, where the team had a chance to secure the National League East division.
With the strike continuing, other upcoming events at the venues are also impacted, including concerts by Maxwell, Charli XCX, and Troye Sivan, as well as a preseason Flyers game and a Temple University football game.
The Philadelphia Eagles, who play at Lincoln Financial Field, have a game coming up on October 13, but so far, they haven’t commented on the situation.
State Senator Sharif Street even joined the picket lines at Wells Fargo Center to show support for the workers, hoping the strike would end in a fair way for everyone.
Given the current tensions, the strike is happening at a crucial time, especially since the city is discussing building a new arena for the 76ers.
For the moment, union leaders are making it clear they want fair pay and benefits at the current stadiums. And they’re insisting on this before any new stadium gets built.
At this point, Aramark says they’ll keep negotiating in good faith, hoping the union will do the same, but they’re ready to deal with future strikes if needed.
As the strike continues, it’s having a noticeable impact on workers, fans, and the events happening at Philly’s major sports and entertainment venues.
