Hundreds of food service workers from the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia went on strike for a day as contract negotiations continued with the concessions operator at the stadium. The union, Unite Here local 274, which represents workers at the arena as well as nearby Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park, where the Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies play, expressed concerns that wages and benefits are not keeping up with inflation.
The workers picketed early in the day in the parking lot of the arena, encouraging fans to avoid purchasing food, drinks or concessions from Aramark and instead eat elsewhere. One of the striking workers, Randi Trent, a caterer with Aramark for 23 years, spoke about why they were taking action. She highlighted their fight for better health care and wages for all workers, noting that current wages are as low as $8 per hour with most earnings coming from tips.
Chris Collom, a spokesperson for Aramark stated that they were committed to bargaining in good faith to find a solution. However he did not provide specific details about their contingency plans to ensure services were not interrupted for Tuesday night’s game. The strike occurred hours before a scheduled NBA game between the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons at the Wells Fargo Center.
