PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Aramark workers at all three South Philadelphia Sports Complex facilities are on strike as the union representing food service employees continues its push for higher wages and increased access to health care coverage.
Members of Unite Here Local 274 — the union representing cooks, bartenders, servers, dishwashers and others — blew up the inflatable rat, set up tents, and held up signs at the centerfield gate at Citizens Bank Park before dawn Monday.
The union is looking to make a statement ahead of the Phillies game on Monday night by hitting the picket lines and urging fans to tailgate rather than buy food and drinks inside the stadium. A similar action took place in the spring outside the Wells Fargo Center before a 76ers game.
The union is also trying to send a message about the treatment of arena and stadium workers as plans to build a new 76ers arena in Center City were approved by the mayor last week.
The union warned that the Teamsters are on board as well, so drivers could refuse to make food and beverage deliveries.
One of Local 274’s main issues is not enough employees have access to full-time benefits even if they do full-time work. There are separate contracts for workers at Citizens Bank Park, Lincoln Financial Field and the Wells Fargo Center. Even though many food service employees work in each building, their hours do not accumulate, union officials said.
“They continue to want to keep the money to themselves. They continue to be corporate greedy and not share the wealth with us, the hard workers,” said Lamont McDowell, a cook at the Wells Fargo Center and the Linc.
In a statement, Aramark said the union continues “to engage in non-productive tactics choosing to strike again and continuing to seek a boycott of Aramark’s services.” The company also said its last contract offer met two of the union’s demands for health care coverage by agreeing to count hours worked at all three sports complex facilities and expand eligibility to all employees who work 28 hours a week per year.
Aramark said it would continue to bargain in good faith, and contingency plans would be put in place so that fans would get the service they need.
A Local 274 spokesperson said members will continue to strike as necessary.
By the time the game rolled around Monday night, Aramark workers were still outside the ballpark. They held signs and spoke with fans, asking them to enjoy the game, but not to buy food or beverages.
“This is not fair. This is our livelihood. We come in holidays, snow days, we leave our families. I’ve missed Christmas, Halloween, I’ve missed major holidays to come in and work for them,” said Heather Innaurato, who works in catering for all three buildings. “I love working for the stadiums, I love my job and I wouldn’t change it. But how Aramark is treating us is completely unfair.”