Contract talks at Fenway Park are striking out, and immediately concession workers are calling on Boston Red Sox principal owner John Henry to step in and “do the right thing.”
“Contract expired in December. These negotiations are going nowhere,” said Austin Petruzziello, a Fenway employee for the past nine years. “It’s been nine months. Give us a contract. We’re done waiting.”
Dozens of workers from UNITE HERE Local 26 got together in Fenway’s concourse and marched through the ballpark on Saturday during a high stake series against the New York Yankees.
“It’s time to bargain, it’s time to come to a serious negotiation bargaining,” said Tammi Nunez.
The rally comes on the heels of a three-day strike earlier this summer when the Red Sox were playing the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“Fans are on our side. When we went on strike back in July, we told the fans don’t grab anything in the park and they listened to us. They bought food outside the park, and they brought it in,” said Petruzziello.
Despite intermittent downpours and sweltering temperatures, Aramark workers rallied outside Fenway Park and asked fans not to grab concessions inside the ballpark as they fight for better pay and other benefits.
The union is fighting for higher pay and job security. Workers make between $18 and $22 an hour, which they say is not comparable to other jobs in the area.
“We’re not done fighting,” Petruzziello said. “We will fight every game if we have to. I know there’s only what seven more left in the season but we’ll keep going.”
“Let’s get this over with, let’s get this done,” Nunez said. “We’re ready to work if you’re ready to work.”
Aramark workers at Fenway Park are also taking their message to the airwaves, calling out Henry in a new sports radio advertising campaign.
The union said the advertising campaign will run on sports radio in heavy rotation through September and may be extended longer if an agreement isn’t reached.
Workers say they’re bringing their concerns directly to Red Sox leadership because although they work for Aramark, Henry ultimately calls the shots.
“We’re respectfully asking John Henry to pay attention to what’s happening to the workers who make Fenway run,” Ron Noel, a stand manager for more than 20 years, said in a statement. “We’re so proud to be part of every game and every fan experience. We’re just asking to be treated with dignity.”
After a 20-year friendly rivalry, longtime Yankees fan Michael Bisono put his feelings about the Red Sox aside to build his elderly father a mini Fenway Park.
Fenway workers first raised their concerns publicly about what they believed were unlivable wages, job loss, and unsafe alcohol policies in April this year. Then in July, they launched their “Fairness at Fenway” campaign and went on the three-day strike during the Dodgers homestand, protesting Aramark’s alleged failure to make meaningful proposals at the bargaining table.
Workers have stressed their deep pride in serving Red Sox fans and their love for the ballpark, while also highlighting what they describe as financial hardship due to Aramark’s wage practices, alleging that the company pays significantly higher wages to workers doing similar jobs at Boston University and at other ballparks across the country.
Aramark said in a statement that they are committed to finding a contract that works for everyone. There was no immediate word on when both sides will head back to the negotiation table.
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