Workers at SoFi Stadium, located in Los Angeles County, California, voted overwhelmingly to authorize a possible strike just days before the FIFA World Cup matches are scheduled to be held at the venue, raising the potential for operational disruptions at one of the United States' most prestigious venues for the quadrennial soccer event.
The workers, represented by the Unite Here Local 11 union, voted 96 percent in favor of authorizing the strike, according to the union and media reports. While not guaranteeing a strike, the vote gives union leaders the authority to call a walkout if contract negotiations fail to produce an agreement before the first match scheduled for SoFi Stadium on June 12.
About 2,000 hospitality workers , including bartenders, waiters, cooks, catering staff and dishwashers, are likely to be affected. The labor dispute centers on wages, job protections and safety issues. Union leaders said workers want wages commensurate with the cost of living in Los Angeles, premium wages for large-scale events like the World Cup, and protections against subcontracting and automation that could reduce union jobs.
Workers have also raised concerns about immigration enforcement and the requirement for FIFA workers to disclose personal data during the badge accreditation process. Earlier this week, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna announced that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had informed him of the potential presence of federal authorities at matches to help maintain security.
Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, said that if a labor agreement is not reached, workers will strike, and the 70,000 fans attending the U.S.-Paraguay match on June 12 will be met by hundreds of protesters, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Legends Global, the company that manages the hospitality operations at SoFi Stadium, said it remains committed to reaching a fair agreement through negotiations.
The controversy comes at a sensitive time for organizers in Los Angeles. SoFi Stadium is scheduled to host eight World Cup matches, including the U.S. national soccer team's opening match against Paraguay. The stadium, which is home to the NFL teams Rams and Chargers, has become the hub of Southern California's preparations for the month-long tournament, which will be held in the US, Mexico and Canada.
Media reports in recent days have described an escalating standoff between the union, Legends Global, and FIFA. Workers say some of the latest proposals include a minimum wage increase for some job categories and a wage freeze for others.
The union also says it wants workers to have the right to leave the workplace if immigration enforcement officers enter the stadium and raise what it describes as legitimate concerns for their safety.
A bigger concern for organizers is whether a strike, even a brief one, could disrupt the provision of high-quality facilities and hospitality services as football fans begin arriving from around the world.
Labor contract negotiations are expected to continue until the opening match. The strike vote has increased pressure on both organizers and workers, although it does not preclude a deal being reached before the strike. With the World Cup fast approaching, the dispute represents an early test of whether one of the tournament's premier venues can avoid labor disruptions in the lead-up to the world's most prestigious football tournament.
