On Tuesday, several food service workers at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia went on strike for a day as contract negotiations continued with the concessions operator at the stadium. Around 400 cooks, servers, bartenders, concession staffers, and others from Unite Here union local 274 began picketing early in the day in the parking lot of the arena. This occurred hours before the Philadelphia 76ers were scheduled to play the Detroit Pistons in an NBA game. The workers were encouraging fans to avoid purchasing food, drinks, or concessions from Aramark and instead eat elsewhere.
The union, which represents workers at the Wells Fargo Center as well as nearby Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park, where the Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies play, expressed concerns that wages and benefits are not keeping up with inflation. They noted that some employees who work at all three stadiums receive different hourly wages at each location. Union members also feel they are treated as seasonal employees rather than year-round workers based on each sports season.
One of the striking workers, Randi Trent, a caterer with Aramark for 23 years, spoke about the reasons for the strike. She mentioned fighting for better health care and wages for all workers, highlighting that the current wages are as low as $8 per hour, with most earnings coming from tips. Chris Collom, a spokesperson for Aramark, stated the company’s commitment to bargaining in good faith and finding a settlement. He mentioned that the firm had contingency plans in place to ensure services were not interrupted for Tuesday night’s game without providing specific details.
