Red Sox Concession Workers Strike in 113-Year Fenway Park First
Concession workers at Fenway Park announced a strike Sunday ahead of the Boston Red Sox's home game against the New York Yankees in the final game of a three-game series.
After a three-day vote that concluded Sunday morning, 95% of the membership of Unite Here Local 26, the Boston chapter of the hospitality workers' union, voted to authorize a strike of more than 1,000 Aramark employees at Fenway and the adjacent MGM Music Hall.
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It's the first time in the 113-year history of the ballpark that concession employees have walked off the job.
The Red Sox forwarded a request for comment to Aramark, which has yet to respond.
Employees have worked without a contract with Aramark since the end of 2024, and though the two sides have continued talks, the union said the sides aren't close on several issues, including wage increases, scheduling based on seniority and limits to the use of automation.
The latter is a component that's become more concerning for employees. In a June 13 Boston Globe story, one Fenway concessions employee said her earnings have declined since Aramark added an AI-powered checkout machine that limited her interactions with fans and opportunities to earn tips.
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'The number of times that we've heard out loud, 'Who am I even tipping?' You know, people laugh about it,' Amanda Savage told the Globe.
In a statement, Local 26 president Carlos Aramayo touted his chapter's success in negotiating wage increases for other hospitality workers in Boston. He said staffers at Fenway should earn the same.
'Local 26 hotel workers fought for and won $10 an hour raises last year, and Local 26 university dining workers will be making a minimum of $30 an hour by 2028,' Aramayo said. 'There's no reason for Fenway workers to be left behind. They deserve raises and respect.'
The union claims that despite the rising costs of living in the Boston area, Fenway employees are paid $18.52 per hour compared with their peers in Miami, who the union said earn $21.25 an hour at the Marlins' loanDepot Park. The cost of living is 28% higher in Boston than Miami-Dade County, Fla., according to Nerd Wallet data.
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The Red Sox, MLB's third-most valuable team at $6.03 billion, per Sportico valuations, rank 10th in average game attendance this season with 32,721 fans per game. The Marlins are 28th among all 30 teams in average game attendance at 11,648 fans. Both stadiums seat approximately 37,000 fans.
Unite Here represents over 300,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada, with members employed throughout the food service, hotel, casino, laundry and warehouse industries.
Last September, Local 274, which represents food and beverage workers for Philadelphia's three primary sports venues, went on strike against Aramark. Workers ended the strike four days later as the Phillies began their postseason run, but the two sides did not immediately sign a contract and maintained calls for fans to boycott of merchandise shops at Citizens Bank Park. Concessions returned to normal services, though, and the two sides eventually agreed to a new deal prior to the start of the 2025 MLB season.
Aramark manages food services at stadiums, arenas, convention centers, schools, correction facilities and other venues across 15 countries. In May, the company won a contract to provide food and beverage services for the Athletics' planned new ballpark in Las Vegas.
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Aramark is also providing food and beverage at Oakmont Country Club in the Pittsburgh suburbs, where the U.S. Open is taking place this weekend for the 10th time.
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