Hundreds of Aramark workers strike outside South Philadelphia Sports Complex

Hundreds of workers went on strike outside the South Philadelphia Sports Complex on Monday. 

UNITE HERE Philly Local 274, the union that represents the city’s food service workers, announced Sunday night that cooks, servers, bartenders, dishwashers, concession workers, cleaners and retail workers employed by Aramark would take part in the strike outside Citizens Bank Park, the Wells Fargo Center and Lincoln Financial Field on Monday, Sept. 23, 2024. 

Aramark, which is headquartered in Philadelphia, provides food and beverage services at all three stadiums. 

More than a thousand workers took to the picket lines early Monday morning and continued throughout the day.

The union said the food service workers voted in favor of authorizing a strike as part of an ongoing campaign to gain wage increases and healthcare coverage. Aramark workers at the Wells Fargo Center had previously gone on strike in April. Monday's strike also included workers at all three stadiums at the sports complex.

“Building off prior victories that transformed the Aramark jobs in the South Philadelphia Stadium Complex from seasonal work to year-round jobs, the union is now fighting for these jobs to look like other year-round jobs, with healthcare and family-sustaining wages that keep up with inflation,” a union leader wrote. “The company currently counts employees’ hours worked at each building separately, even though workers are doing the same jobs for the same employer, which leaves many without healthcare benefits. The union has demanded that Aramark determine health insurance eligibility for its employees by aggregating all hours worked across the Stadium Complex and lower the threshold for eligibility.” 

In a statement, Aramark said they have been bargaining "in good faith with UNITE HERE Local 274" for over six months and that they "remain focused on delivering a high-quality guest and fan experience."

"Aramark has bargained in good faith with UNITE HERE Local 274 for over six months. In the five-week period since the union rejected our offer, they have chosen to strike without making any substantive changes to their position. They continue to engage in non-productive tactics choosing to strike again and continuing to seek a boycott of Aramark’s services.

"We value our associates and are proud of the wage progression that has occurred over the past five years.  In fact, the average total income inclusive of wages and tips for this group of employees have risen by 61% over the past five years.

"We also continue to offer enhanced benefits as part of the current negotiations with the union.  In our last offer, Aramark agreed to two of the union’s benefit eligibility demands: (1) we will count hours worked across all three Philadelphia Sports Complex locations; and (2) we will remove any caps on the number of eligible participants. The result is that all employees who work approximately 28 hours a week per year across any of those locations would have access to healthcare, dental, vision and short-term disability benefits.

"Strikes hurt employees the most and during the last strike at the Wells Fargo Center in April 2024, hundreds of associates crossed the picket line and decided not to participate in the strike and, instead, worked their regularly scheduled shifts.  We want to thank them again for their commitment and dedication to the 76ers and their incredible fans. 

"Going forward, we intend to continue to bargain in good faith for the benefit of all involved. It is our sincere hope that the union will do the same. In the meantime, we have contingency plans in place for any future strikes and will remain focused on delivering a high-quality guest and fan experience."

Union leaders said they turned down Aramark's most recent proposal because it didn't take inflation into account.

“I’m out here fighting. I’m out here walking. I’m trying to survive just like anybody else,” Terence Bond, a father of four and cook who works at all three stadiums told NBC10 as he joined hundreds of other workers on the picket line. “Food, everything is going up. Cost of living is going up.”

The workers are asking Philly sports fans to support their strike by not buying food inside the stadiums and instead eating before games. Aramark, meanwhile, is bringing in non-union workers so that concessions can stay open.

Meanwhile, amid the strike, the Philadelphia Phillies are set to play the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park Monday night and have the chance to clinch the National League East division with a win.

For their part, in a statement to NBC10, the Phillies said that they hope them situation is resolved quickly.

"The Phillies hope this labor dispute is resolved quickly. All games at Citizens Bank Park this week will be played and concessions will be open."