A group of SoFi Stadium workers in Los Angeles have voted to authorize a strike, with the venue set to host the first U.S.match in the World Cup next week.The union representing the workers said on Friday its members, including cashiers, concession workers, bartenders, dishwashers, cooks and food attendants, voted 96% in favor of a strike.
"Workers could walk off the job at any moment if their demands are not met," UNITE HERE Local 11 said.Workers' demands include higher pay, security on the job and protections against subcontracting and other potential threats to the erosion of union jobs.A top concern among workers is the role of federal immigration enforcement officers at the games, amid the Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown.
As part of the negotiations, UNITE HERE Local 11 has asked FIFA to demand that both the U.S.Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol will play no role at the World Cup.Yolanda Fierro, a union member who works at SoFi, said in a statement on Friday she is ready to strike if a deal is not reached."Fans from around the world will come expecting an unforgettable event, and we take pride in making that happen," Fierro said.
"But no worker should have to fear being separated from their family or worry about dangerous ICE activity while simply doing their job.We deserve to feel safe, respected, and protected at work."Negotiations between the union and Legends Global, which manages hospitality services at SoFi Stadium, as well as FIFA are scheduled to continue Monday, the union said.The U.S.
men's team will compete against Paraguay at the stadium on June 12.Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11 told the Associated Press that negotiations have been moving at a "glacial" pace and that there has been an agreement on minimum wage increases for cooks and dishwashers.NPR reached out to FIFA and Legends Global for comment on Saturday but has not yet received a response.Legends Global told the AP in a stat...