2,000 SoFi Stadium workers vote on strike before World Cup opener La Times
About 2,000 hospitality workers at SoFi Stadium began voting Thursday on whether to authorize a strike, with the June 12 World Cup opener at the Inglewood venue a week away. The workers, represented by Unite Here Local 11, have been working without a contract for a year.
Union co-president Kurt Petersen said the vote could lead to picketing at the stadium if workers approve a strike during the two-day ballot. He said, "I think we’ll go through the vote and hopefully we’ll meet again next week," and added, "We want a fair contract. But it takes two sides."
SoFi Stadium vote timeline
The workers include cooks, dishwashers, concession workers, bartenders and servers. Their talks with Legends Global, the stadium’s food-service operator, have stalled, and another round of bargaining was scheduled for Wednesday. A union spokeswoman said the vote results could be known as early as Friday night.
Petersen said the union is seeking salary increases to more than $30 an hour, along with protection against subcontracting and job loss through automation. He described Legends Global’s most recent offer this way: "The company wants to talk about quarters. We want to talk about dollars."
Legends Global offer
According to the union, the company’s latest proposal includes wage freezes for some workers and a 25-cent hourly increase for cooks and dishwashers. The union is seeking a 22-month contract that would expire just before the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Stacey Escudero, a Legends Global spokeswoman, said, "Legends Global has enjoyed a strong relationship with Unite Here Local 11 for more than a decade and remains committed to reaching a fair agreement through good-faith negotiations." She also said, "We look forward to delivering an outstanding hospitality experience for fans at the FIFA World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium."
FIFA data dispute
The contract fight also includes FIFA’s role at the stadium during the tournament. FIFA will take control of all 16 stadiums during the World Cup, including venue operations and concessions, and at SoFi Stadium, Legends will pay workers while FIFA manages job functions, attire and the accreditation needed to access the stadium.
The union says FIFA is demanding sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers and fingerprints, to process background checks, and Local 11 is refusing to waive California data privacy rights. Petersen said if a strike is approved, the 70,000 fans arriving for the June 12 World Cup opener between the U.S. and Paraguay will be greeted by hundreds of picketing workers.
The FBI’s top agent in Los Angeles said drone operators will work closely with the Federal Aviation Administration to enforce temporary flight restrictions over the stadium. With the vote under way and bargaining set to resume, the union’s next signal could come as soon as Friday night.
