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Fenway Park concessions workers are back on the job, but negotiations continue
It is unclear if another strike will occur. The Red Sox are on the road this week before returning to Fenway on Friday.
Concession workers at Fenway Park ended a three-day strike Sunday night, but the unionized workers and the company that handles concession sales at the park have yet to reach a new contract and another strike could occur in the near future.
Members of United Here Local 26 went on strike Friday, demanding better wages from Aramark, the global food services company. The strike coincided with a much-anticipated three-game series between the Red Sox and Dodgers at Fenway. As Aramark brought replacement workers in to man concession stands in the park, union members picketed outside and urged fans to buy their food and drinks elsewhere.
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A spokesperson for Aramark confirmed Monday that the strike concluded without a resolution to the contract dispute.
“We intend to keep working with the union toward a settlement that works for everyone. In the event of a strike, we have contingency plans in place to ensure that services are not interrupted,” the spokesperson said.
It is unclear when negotiations will continue or when another strike could occur. The Red Sox are in Minnesota through Wednesday and will host the Houston Astros back in Boston for a three-game series beginning Friday.
Union members say that Fenway’s concession workers make “considerably” less than those working similar jobs in places where it is less expensive to live than Boston. As an example, they point to LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins. An average beer costs $5.14 at the Miami stadium, compared to $10.79 at Fenway. However, cashiers at Fenway make $18.52 an hour, whereas cashiers at LoanDepot Park make $21.25 an hour.
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The workers point to data that shows that Fenway is the most expensive stadium to attend in all of Major League Baseball, even while the Red Sox are the third-most valuable team in the league.
Workers also worry about the increasing use of automation within Fenway. Customers that use self-checkout machines are less likely to include a tip on their purchase, even though real human workers still contribute to the sale.
Amanda Savage, one of the workers who went on strike, told pro-labor movement media outlet On the Line that her gratuities were cut in half last year, in part due to automation.
“We’re finding that our jobs are being replaced by machines,” she said. “We very often hear, ‘Oh, who am I tipping? Oh it’s asking for a tip. Why is it asking for a tip?’ But someone still did that work.”
Union representatives did not return a request for comment Monday.
A spokesperson for Fenway Sports Group said Monday that the organization hopes for a quick resolution to the dispute between the union and Aramark. Representatives from the Red Sox are not a party to the negotiations.
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Concessions operations ran smoothly over the weekend and were staffed at appropriate levels, the FSG spokesperson added.
Some of the replacement workers reported being harassed by those on the picket line. NBC10 cameras captured union members loudly booing some of the workers who staffed concessions as they left Fenway Sunday night. One of those replacement workers said that union members hurled racial slurs at them, and alleged that one person was spit on.
Throughout the weekend, union members documented their strike on social media. They were joined by local elected officials, including City Councilor Sharon Durkan, State Sen.Lydia Edwards, and U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley.
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