A first-of-its-kind labor agreement will cover hundreds of fast food workers at 23 Connecticut highway service plazas, marking a rare union foothold in the fast food industry and a milestone for labor organizers nationwide.

The deal, reached between 32BJ SEIU and Applegreen, the primary operator of the plazas, runs from April 1, 2026, through March 1, 2031, and follows years of organizing and worker complaints about wages and conditions. Applegreen did not respond to a request for comment.

Gov. Ned Lamont, who helped broker the contract, praised the agreement, saying the workers “deserve good pay and benefits” and calling the contract recognition of the role they play serving travelers across the state.

“For these fast food workers who work in the Connecticut rest stop plazas, the chance to have a union is something pretty unique for this group of workers,” said Manny Pastreich, president of 32BJ SEIU.

“There are basically no fast food workers in this country who have union representation,” Pastreich said.

The agreement covers workers at plazas along Interstate 95, the Merritt Parkway and other major corridors, after a campaign that began in 2019 and culminated in a union vote late last year.

More predictable schedules, more control over daily life

The contract guarantees more consistent hours and advance scheduling, addressing one of the most common concerns among fast food workers.

“People can know what their hours are in advance. They can get the hours they need and can depend on,” Pastreich said.

Pastreich said predictable scheduling will bring immediate stability to workers who often struggle with inconsistent hours.

“Something that so many of us take for granted is having control over the schedule of our lives, often in the fast food industry is not true,” he said. “So I think that this is a huge step forward.”

He said that stability can help workers manage child care, attend school and better plan their daily lives.

Addressing long-standing workplace concerns

Workers began organizing in 2019 after raising concerns about pay, benefits and working conditions, including allegations of substandard wages and unsafe environments.

The agreement also creates formal workplace protections, including a grievance process, arbitration rights and stronger enforcement of wage standards under state law.

“They 1774882326 have a process to fix problems big and small,” Pastreich said.

“The other thing they have is the 6,000 members in Connecticut of 32BJ and the entire labor movement now behind them,” he said.

Pastreich said that broader support can be critical when serious issues arise on the job.

Could this deal reshape organizing in fast food?

The agreement comes as labor groups search for ways to organize in an industry that has historically resisted unionization.

“The issue of why workers in America don’t have a union has nothing to do with the fact that they don’t want the union,” Pastreich said. “The real challenge to winning the union is overcoming intense employer opposition.”

Pastreich said the Connecticut deal could serve as a model for similar efforts elsewhere.

“I think this group of 300 workers … that’s what 32BJ does … is stand there to give those workers a voice on the job that, alone, they really wouldn’t be able to make the change that they want,” he said.

Immigrant workers at the center of the effort

Pastreich says immigrant workers played a central role in organizing the service plaza workforce, reflecting broader trends within the union.

“At this moment of time when the federal administration is attacking immigrants and trying to drive divisions …our union…was founded by immigrants,” Pastreich said.

“It has always been a majority immigrant union, and continues to this day to be a majority immigrant union,” he said.

“That is who we are…and honestly, are the backbone of the work that this country does,” Pastreich said.

This story was first published March 27, 2026 by Connecticut Public.