As the countdown to the World Cup, set to commence on June 11, begins, hospitality and food service employees in various US cities hosting matches are voicing concerns over potential labor conflicts and strikes.
In Los Angeles, California, workers including cashiers, dishwashers, cooks, and bartenders at SoFi Stadium reached a preliminary agreement on Tuesday. However, the union emphasized that it retains the right to strike if federal immigration enforcement jeopardizes their safety during the event. The tournament’s opening match will take place at SoFi Stadium, rebranded as Los Angeles Stadium, against Paraguay on June 12.
Prior to the agreement, around 2,000 employees represented by Unite Here Local 11 voted overwhelmingly, with 96% supporting a strike authorization. The workers are advocating for a new contract that includes wage increases and safeguards against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions.
“We’re just trying to make things fair,” stated Eva Miles, a bartender who has worked at SoFi Stadium since its opening in 2021. “Without us, they don’t have a stadium. Are they going to cook? Are they going to pour those drinks? Are they going to serve these people?”
Miles further expressed concerns about the unaffordability of housing near the stadium on current wages, sharing her daily two-hour commute. Some of her colleagues face even longer travel times.
“Let’s see them live on our wage, let’s see them raise a family,” she added. Workers are calling for salaries exceeding $30 per hour. “I’ve been there since the beginning. I love meeting new people. I want my guests to be happy, and I want them to enjoy it and have a great experience. I know they spend a lot of money, and I know they’re spending a lot of money on this FIFA World Cup, so I don’t understand why we can’t get what we want and everybody be happy.”
Additionally, the ACLU of Southern California and LAANE have lodged a formal complaint with the California privacy protection agency and the state’s department of justice, criticizing FIFA’s accreditation policy that requires workers to disclose immigration status to work during the World Cup.
Enrique Fernández, the general vice-president for immigration, civil rights, and diversity at Unite Here, highlighted that many union members are immigrants who will serve in hospitality roles across World Cup host cities.
The union comprises members from nearly 200 countries and traces its roots back to the 1912 Bread and Roses strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts, spearheaded by immigrant founders.
“They experience the effects of anti-immigrant policy and rhetoric every day, and they don’t need the added stress of tracking ICE agents at their workplaces,” Fernández remarked.
SoFi Stadium opted not to comment, referring inquiries to Legends Global, the company responsible for concessions and staffing.
“Legends Global has enjoyed a strong relationship with Unite Here Local 11 for more than a decade and remains committed to reaching a fair agreement through good faith negotiations,” a spokesperson stated in an email. “We look forward to delivering an outstanding hospitality experience for fans at the FIFA World Cup matches at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium).”
Meanwhile, in Seattle, hotel workers represented by Unite Here Local 8 at the Embassy Suites Hilton, located near Lumen Field where six World Cup games will occur, voted 94% in favor of authorizing a strike. About 100 employees at the hotel are pushing for salary increases, year-round health insurance, protections against ICE actions, and better staffing levels.
“We need the wages to improve,” said Hayden Eyerly, a front desk employee at the Embassy Suites Hilton. He pointed out that the hotel had only proposed raises of about $0.80 an hour annually throughout the contract period. “No one here thinks that is reasonable, because of the rising cost of everything, gas prices in particular.”
Eyerly also mentioned that many workers frequently lose health insurance during the off-peak tourism season due to reduced work hours and argued that staffing levels at the hotel have yet to recover to pre-pandemic standards.
He noted that many of his colleagues are immigrants and had been advised by their attorneys to avoid media interactions due to fears of repercussions regarding their immigration status.
“Everyone is very tired. Every department has been working on a skeleton crew,” Eyerly added. “We’re trying to make real changes, a real positive impact in our lives. We all deserve to work one job, we all deserve to come home and have the energy to be there for our families.”
A Hilton spokesperson stated that the hotel has contingency plans prepared in case a strike occurs.
“We remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that benefits both our valued Team Members and our hotel,” they said in an email.
In Philadelphia, workers at six hotels represented by Unite Here Local 274 are threatening strikes during the World Cup matches as their union contracts have expired without new agreements. A deadline of June 12 has been established for the hotels if new contracts are not finalized by that date.
Maciah Magloughlin, a server at the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District, stated that workers are advocating for significant pay raises, a workload cap of 15 rooms for housekeepers, protections from ICE for immigrant employees, and more affordable health insurance for dependents.
“The hotels have the money to give us what we deserve,” Magloughlin asserted, referencing the projected $770 million economic impact of the World Cup on the Philadelphia area. “What we’re fighting for is that the people who hold this industry up on their back also get a piece of that, because people are fighting to send their kids to school or take time off or buy groceries, and that’s not fair, especially when we’ve got such a big summer coming.”
The Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District commented on the strike threat amidst ongoing negotiations for a new union contract: “We respect our team members’ rights to engage in legally protected activities and look forward to reaching a fair contract. While discussions are ongoing, we remain committed to ensuring our guests enjoy their stay.”
FIFA declined to comment on the situation, indicating that the dispute at SoFi Stadium does not involve the organization, and it did not address the other threats of labor action or its ICE accreditation policy.
