World Cup Workers Threaten Strikes in US Host Cities
As the World Cup countdown ticks toward 11 June, tension is building far from the pitch.
In three US host cities, the workers who will feed, serve and check in thousands of fans are threatening to walk away just as the tournament begins, warning that unless they see real gains in pay and protection, the world’s biggest sporting event could open under the shadow of strikes.
Strike votes on the doorstep of the opener
The flashpoint is Los Angeles, where SoFi Stadium will host the US’s opening match against Paraguay on 12 June.
Around 2,000 cashiers, dishwashers, cooks, bartenders, concessions workers and food attendants at the venue, all represented by Unite Here Local 11, have voted by 96% to authorize a strike. They can down tools at any moment as talks over a new contract stall.
“We’re just trying to make things fair,” said Eva Miles, a bartender at SoFi since it opened in 2021. She travels two hours each way to work, and says many of her colleagues endure even longer commutes because they cannot afford to live near the stadium on their current wages.
“Without us, they don’t have a stadium. Are they going to cook? Are they going to pour those drinks? Are they going to serve these people?” she said.
Workers are pushing for pay above $30 an hour and protections from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Miles has been there from the first game, greeting fans, pouring drinks, trying to give visitors the premium experience they’ve paid for. That’s what grates.
“I know they’re spending a lot of money on this Fifa World Cup, so I don’t understand why we can’t get what we want and everybody be happy.”
SoFi Stadium declined to comment, directing questions to Legends Global, the concessionaire that employs the workers. Legends struck a conciliatory tone.
“Legends Global has enjoyed a strong relationship with Unite Here Local 11 for more than a decade and remains committed to reaching a fair agreement through good faith negotiations,” a spokesperson said in an email. “We look forward to delivering an outstanding hospitality experience for fans at the Fifa World Cup matches at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium).”
Immigration fears collide with World Cup security
Wages are only part of the story. Unite Here, the ACLU of Southern California and LAANE have filed a formal complaint with the California privacy protection agency and the state department of justice over Fifa’s accreditation policy.
To work at this summer’s World Cup, staff are being asked to divulge immigration information. For a workforce heavily made up of immigrants, that demand cuts deep.
Enrique Fernández, general vice-president for immigration, civil rights and diversity at Unite Here, stressed how personal the issue is for his members. The union’s roots stretch back to the 1912 Bread and Roses strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts, led by immigrant textile workers, and today it includes members from nearly 200 countries.
“They experience the effects of anti-immigrant policy and rhetoric every day, and they don’t need the added stress of tracking ICE agents at their workplaces,” Fernández said.
For many, the World Cup is supposed to be a celebration. Instead, it feels like a risk.
Seattle hotel staff push back
The unrest is not confined to Los Angeles.
In Seattle, where Lumen Field will stage six World Cup matches, hotel workers at the Embassy Suite Hilton have delivered their own warning. About 100 workers represented by Unite Here Local 8 voted 94% in favor of a strike authorization as they fight for higher pay, year-round health coverage, ICE protections and better staffing.
“We need the wages to improve,” said front desk employee Hayden Eyerly. He said the hotel has offered only about $0.80 an hour in annual raises under the contract, a figure that has infuriated staff as the cost of living surges, with gas prices a particular strain.
Eyerly described a workforce stretched thin, with staffing levels that have yet to return to what they were before the pandemic. Some workers, he said, regularly lose health insurance in the tourism offseason because their hours drop.
“Everyone is very tired. Every department has been working on a skeleton crew,” he said. “We’re trying to make real changes, a real positive impact in our lives. We all deserve to work one job, we all deserve to come home and have the energy to be there for our families.”
Many of his coworkers are immigrants, but Eyerly said they have been advised by their immigration attorney not to speak publicly for fear of retaliation that could affect their status.
Hilton signaled it is preparing for all scenarios.
A spokesperson said the hotel has contingency plans in place if a strike goes ahead. “We remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that benefits both our valued Team Members and our hotel,” they said in an email.
Philadelphia eyes a crucial deadline
On the opposite coast, Philadelphia faces its own showdown.
Workers at six hotels in the city, represented by Unite Here Local 274, are threatening possible strikes during World Cup games after their contracts expired without new deals. They have set a strike deadline of 12 June – the same date the US opens its campaign in Los Angeles – if agreements are not reached.
At the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District, server Maciah Magloughlin said staff are demanding substantial wage increases, a cap of 15 rooms per day for housekeepers, ICE protections for immigrant workers and more affordable health coverage for dependents.
“The hotels have the money to give us what we deserve,” Magloughlin said, pointing to the projected $770m economic impact of the World Cup on the Philadelphia area. For him, the numbers expose the gap between the money flowing into the city and the lives of the people making the event function.
“What we’re fighting for is that the people who hold this industry up on their back also get a piece of that, because people are fighting to send their kids to school or take time off or buy groceries, and that’s not fair, especially when we’ve got such a big summer coming.”
The Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District responded in a statement that it respects workers’ rights to engage in legally protected activity and is aiming for a deal.
“We respect our team members’ rights to engage in legally protected activities and look forward to reaching a fair contract. While discussions are ongoing, we remain committed to ensuring our guests enjoy their stay.”
A World Cup built on fragile foundations
As Fifa prepares to showcase the spectacle on the field, the reality off it is stark. The tournament’s success in the US will rest on workers who say they are underpaid, overworked and, in many cases, anxious about their immigration status.
The stadiums will be full. The TV cameras will roll. The sponsors will get their branding.
Whether the people pouring the drinks, cleaning the rooms and checking fans into their hotels feel they have won anything from this World Cup is a very different contest – and one that may yet play out on picket lines instead of touchlines.
