Fenway Park concessions workers are back on the job, but negotiations continue

Sunday night marked the end of a three-day walkout by Fenway Park concession workers; however, a new contract has not yet been reached between the unionized workers and the park’s concession sales corporation, and another strike may be imminent.

United Here Local 26 members went on strike on Friday in protest of Aramark, the multinational food services corporation, and demanded higher pay. The strike took place at Fenway during the highly anticipated three-game series between the Red Sox and Dodgers. Union members picketed outside and told fans to get their food and beverages elsewhere as Aramark brought in replacement workers to staff the park’s concession stalls.

On Monday, an Aramark representative affirmed that the strike ended without the contract disagreement being resolved.

We plan to continue collaborating with the union to reach a mutually beneficial conclusion. “We have contingency plans in place to ensure that services are not interrupted in the event of a strike,” the spokeswoman stated.

It’s unknown if talks will continue or if there will be another strike. The Red Sox will welcome the Houston Astros in Boston for a three-game series starting on Friday after spending the week in Minnesota through Wednesday.

According to union members, Fenway concession workers earn far less than those in comparable positions in areas with lower housing costs than Boston. They cite the Miami Marlins’ home field, Loan Depot Park, as an example. The average beverage at the Miami stadium costs $5.14, while at the Fenway it costs $10.79. On the other hand, Fenway cashiers earn $18.52 per hour, while LoanDepot Park cashiers get $21.25.

The employees cite statistics that demonstrate that, despite the Red Sox being the third-most valued team in the league, Fenway is the most costly venue to visit in all of Major League Baseball.

Employees are also concerned about Fenway’s growing mechanization. Even though actual human employees still contribute to the transaction, customers who utilize self-checkout devices are less inclined to tip for their purchases.

One of the striking employees, Amanda Savage, told the pro-labor movement media outlet On the Line that automation was partly to blame for the halving of her gratuity last year.

“We’re discovering that machines are taking our jobs,” she remarked. We frequently hear the question, “Who am I tipping?” Yes, it is requesting a tip. Why is it requesting a gratuity? However, that task was still done by someone.

A request for response on Monday was not answered by union representatives.

According to a representative for Fenway Sports Group, the group is hoping that the conflict between the union and Aramark may be resolved quickly. Negotiations are not being attended by Red Sox representatives.

According to the FSG spokeswoman, concessions operations were manned appropriately and ran successfully during the weekend.

A few of the replacement employees said that the picket line members had harassed them.As they exited Fenway Sunday night, union members were heard yelling at some of the concession workers by NBC10 cameras. One of those substitute workers claimed that one of the union members spit on them and threw racist epithets at them.

Union members used social media to document their strike over the course of the weekend. U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley, State Senator Lydia Edwards, and City Councilor Sharon Durkan were among the local political leaders who joined them.

The experience of Fenway Park would not be the same without our @UNITEHERE26 employees.Their lives are important, but so is their labor.Proud to be on the picket line with them as they demand a fair contract, job security, and fair salaries.Twitter: pic.twitter.com/a620fGrdl3

Since 2022, Ross Cristantiello has been a general assignment news correspondent for Boston.com, covering a variety of topics such as local politics, crime, and the environment.