Over 200 Workers Reject Offer in Hersheypark Strike Vote
More than 200 maintenance workers at Hersheypark rejected Hershey Entertainment & Resorts’ final contract offer on May 7, setting up a hersheypark strike vote that could affect staffing at the park, The Hotel Hershey and Giant Center. The workers are voting over three days on whether to strike as the park prepares to open seven days a week on May 21.
May 7 Offer Rejected
Hershey Entertainment & Resorts described its rejected proposal as a “last, best, and final” offer. The vote came at 4:00 p.m. Thursday after negotiations began earlier this year and after the company and the union agreed in mid-March to extend the former contract for 60 days so talks could continue.
The rejected offer was the third from the company. Jess Colopy reported that the strike vote could delay Hersheypark operations.
Union Trades at Hersheypark
The union represents skilled tradespeople across Hersheypark, The Hotel Hershey and Giant Center, including carpenters, HVAC technicians, ride mechanics, electricians, plumbers, welders, painters, machinists, sign artists, laborers, central plant operators, garage auto mechanics and utilities technicians. That mix covers the maintenance work that keeps each property running as the summer schedule nears.
The Boardwalk water park is scheduled to open on May 23, two days after Hersheypark is set to begin seven-day-a-week operations. The timing gives the vote immediate operational weight for a resort that is moving into its busiest season.
Giant Center and Next Steps
The next performance at the Giant Center is Nate Bargatze on May 16, giving the venue its own near-term schedule while the union vote continues. The union will announce the results later this week.
Hershey Entertainment & Resorts has not issued a statement on the potential maintenance worker strike, leaving the company’s response to the vote for the union’s announcement later this week. If the workers approve a strike, the first pressure point will be maintenance coverage across the three properties as summer operations ramp up.
