PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Aramark food service workers on their fourth day of striking picketed outside Wells Fargo Center during a disappointing Game Four of the Sixers’ first-round playoff series against the Knicks.
“I love my job. I love the building. I love my coworkers. I love working,” said Linda McMullin, a Wells Fargo Center cook. “But when it comes to fair wages, we all have to stick together and fight as one. I’m standing up for myself, and I’m standing up for everyone that I work with, everyone that’s in the union, everyone that represents us.”
The union representing Aramark food service workers has been striking since April 25. Among their demands: the same hourly pay rate as their counterparts in Chicago and Washington, who make about $6 to $7 more per hour, and some sort of health care coverage.
Fred Motley is a cook from North Philly who works at all three stadiums in the sports complex, but is still labeled as a “seasonal” worker.
“Especially since the company has been increasingly profitable these last three years, there’s no reason we can’t share in the benefits.”
The union has been asking people attending games during the strike to not buy food and drink from Aramark
Fans filled the arena Sunday afternoon. Not that the 76ers had much of a home-court advantage. Knicks fans were abundant. It was a big deal: Philly was hoping to tie the series 2-2, but the Knicks beat the Sixers 97-92 to take a 3-1 lead in the series.
Aramark in a statement says they’re disappointed the union decided to strike before responding to the offer they discussed a few weeks ago. The company says a contingency plan has been in place to keep services from being interrupted during the playoffs.