INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Stadium workers near Los Angeles say they have reached a tentative contract deal, averting a strike ahead of the U.S. men's soccer team's opening World Cup match Friday.
The union announced the deal at a news conference Tuesday and said workers will vote on whether to ratify the agreement on Wednesday. The union representing 2,000 bartenders, servers, cooks and dishwashers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, voted last week to authorize a strike after contract talks had stalled with the stadium's food service provider, Legends Global.
Workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 11 said they were seeking pay increases, protections from subcontracting and security on the job amid ramped-up immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump's administration.
"This is a very proud moment for all of us," said Yolanda Fierro, a suite runner at the stadium. "We really want to secure the safety of all our employees."
Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, said that, under the deal, workers retained the right to strike in case of an immigration raid at work. He said it was the last issue on the table in negotiations with the company.
"No other collective bargaining agreement in the country preserves the right to strike in response to ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids and attacks," he said. "We hope we never need to use that right."
The World Cup is expected to draw millions of fans to matches across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, over 39 days this summer.
Eight matches are scheduled for SoFi Stadium, starting with Friday's match between the U.S. and Paraguay.
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Taxin reported from Santa Ana, Calif.
