Food service workers at two South Philly stadiums have rejected the latest offer from Aramark.
Workers at both Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field voted emphatically against the latest proposal, which was an increase of 10 cents per hour form its previous pitch. Ninety-eight percent of workers at both locations voted down the offer.
“Aramark’s latest offer is a slap in the face,” said Tiffani Davis, a concessions worker at Citizens Bank Park. “We work hard to make game days enjoyable for fans, yet we’re struggling to make ends meet. A 10-cent raise is not enough to cover the rising cost of living or provide for our families. We deserve better.”
According to the food service workers’ union representatives, workers at Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field are earning significantly lower wages than their counterparts in other major cities. Food service utility workers at the Cap One Arena in Washington, D.C. and United Center in Chicago are earning hourly wages of $21.50 and $21.55, respectively, while their counterparts at Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field are earning $17.50 per hour.
According to the union, stand attendants in Philadelphia earn $16.05 at Citizens Bank Park and $15.55 at Lincoln Financial Field per hour compared to $20.50 at the United Center in Chicago, where employees who work a minimum of 910 hours per year between the United Center and Wrigley Field are eligible for free, year-round health insurance. Aramark workers are seeking similar wages to their counterparts in Chicago.
Many workers at Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field are also without health insurance. Other gaps in negotiation include vacation, sick days, raises and gratuity options.
In April, Aramark workers went on a four-day strike outside the Wells Fargo Center to bring attention to their fight, urging stadium goers to boycott Aramark services. A civil disobedience protest was organized on June 12 outside Aramark’s Global headquarters, which was joined by Sen. Nikil Saval, Daniel Bauder of the Philadelphia AF-LCIO and Gwen Mills, president of UNITE HERE International Union.
