A strike date has been set for Delaware North Company concession workers at Target Field, the home of the Minnesota Twins.
UNITE HERE Local 17 has set a June 22nd as their strike date and picket what they are calling unsafe working conditions.
"This will be the first strike that has ever happened at a Major League stadium in Minnesota, and I think if you're a fan and you're intent on coming to the game, you should bring your own food because there will not be food available for you to purchase," Secretary Treasurer Sheigh Freeberg said.
At the moment, the strike is scheduled for just one day, but workers are prepared to go longer if necessary.
The June 22nd date is notable because that is when the Twins host the Los Angeles Dodgers, and one of the game's biggest stars, Shohei Ohtani. That would likely draw one of the biggest crowds of the year at Target Field.
"We're keeping open the possibility of striking more games, or an open-ended, strike if Delaware North continues to not take this seriously," FreeBerg added.
Local 17 organizer Theo Bilski said some employees have already quit due to poor working conditions.
"Yes, we have had members quit because they've been so frustrated," says Bilski. "I actually spoke to somebody yesterday who quit because the pay was too low, and the manager that was filling in for the HR was treating her and her coworkers with a lot of disrespect. And that's just one person I talked to yesterday. I'm sure there's a number more."
"It is our full intention that we will continue full-service concessions at Target Field should there be a strike," reads a statement from Delaware North. "If UNITE HERE’s greed insists on displacing nonprofit fundraising, we believe the community will be deeply impacted. The decades-long partnerships we have with community groups that depend on concessions at Target Field for fundraising is something that reflect the values of the fans and residents of Minnesota."
The two sides were scheduled to talk one final time today in an attempt to receive better pay, health benefits, and improve faulty equipment.
On May 1, workers voted by 81% to authorize a strike if necessary.
The two sides will attempt to negotiate again Thursday, but so far that's the only scheduled meeting before the June 22nd strike date.
