Some workers at Fenway Park and nearby MGM Music Hall have voted to authorize a strike amid contract negotiations with their employer, Aramark, their union announced Sunday.
If the workers — who include cooks, beer sellers, cashiers and souvenir vendors — do strike, union UNITE HERE Local 26 said it would ask people who attend Boston Red Sox games not to buy food or beverages inside Fenway Park, referring to that in a news release as the picket line.
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WATCH HEREThe union said the workers have been without a contract with Aramark since the end of 2024 and, while negotiations are ongoing, they aren't close to agreements on wages, scheduling and technology. The Boston Globe reported this week that the technology concerns involve automated self-checkout concession machines that are now in use at the stadium.
“Boston is a union town, and it’s time to bring all Fenway workers’ wages up to standard,” said Carlos Aramayo, president of UNITE HERE Local 26, in a statement. “Local 26 hotel workers fought for and won $10 an hour raises last year, and Local 26 university dining workers will be making a minimum of $30 an hour by 2028. There’s no reason for Fenway workers to be left behind. They deserve raises and respect!”
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SIGN UP An Aramark spokesman shared a statement in response to the vote: “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.”
A Red Sox representative referred questions to Aramark.
UNITE HERE Local 26 said the strike authorization was approved with a 95% yes vote.
The union said that Fenway's workers have never held a strike while Aramark has managed the stadium's vending, concessions and warehouse.
