Dodger Stadium concession workers threaten to strike MLB All-Star Game

Dodger Stadium concession employees may go on strike prematurely of subsequent week’s All-Star Recreation, the union representing these employees mentioned Monday.

Of the meals and beverage employees at Dodger Stadium, 99% voted Sunday to authorize a strike, Unite Right here spokeswoman Maria Hernandez mentioned in a press release.

The strike may start “at any time,” in response to the assertion. The Dodger Stadium All-Star festivities start Saturday with the Futures Recreation, adopted by the house run derby Monday and the All-Star Recreation on Tuesday.

The employees are employed by Chicago-based Levy Eating places, the corporate chargeable for concession operations at Dodger Stadium. Kevin Memolo, the spokesman for Levy Eating places, didn’t instantly return a message Monday.

Within the assertion, the union mentioned it represents near 1,500 “meals servers, bartenders, suite attendants, cooks and dishwashers at Dodger Stadium.”

The employees search “a good new union contract,” the assertion mentioned. In an interview, Hernandez mentioned she couldn’t present particular calls for however mentioned the pandemic had put a stark gentle on the housing and healthcare disparities that employees face.

“They’re the spine of our tourism and sports activities trade, but many wrestle to remain housed and to make ends meet,” mentioned Susan Minato, co-president of Unite Right here Native 11. “They usually reside with financial uncertainty as a result of the standard of jobs range stadium to stadium. No employee ought to must proceed residing like this.”

The Main League Baseball Gamers Assn. released a statement in help of the concession employees: “The MLBPA stands in solidarity with the Dodger Stadium concessions employees represented by UNITE HERE Native 11. Like hundreds of ballpark employees throughout the nation, Native 11’s members are a significant but below appreciated a part of what makes our sport nice. They should be handled pretty and can proceed to have the 1,200 members of the MLBPA behind them.”