Nearly 97 percent of Oracle Park’s concessions workers voted to strike Saturday as negotiations over issues such as COVID-19 safety, health care and hazard pay stalled between hospitality workers’ union Unite Here Local 2 and the San Francisco Giants’ food service contractor, Bon Appetit.
Among hundreds of food service workers, turnout in Saturday afternoon’s vote was approximately 86 percent of active stadium workers, and 96.7 percent voted in favor of striking, said Ted Waechter of Unite Here Local 2. At least 20 concessions workers have been infected with COVID-19 since the ballpark reopened.
Concessions workers’ overwhelming vote to strike means a strike could be called at any time, he added.
“Oracle Park workers are like a big family, and we’re ready to go on strike to keep ourselves safe from COVID and for our health care and wages,” said Aurora Rodriguez, a cook at Oracle Park for 20 years. “I’m a single mom, and one of my children has a chronic medical condition that puts him at high risk if he’s infected with COVID.
That’s why we need better protection at work. I’m ready to do what it takes to protect his health and make sure my family has the health insurance we need.”
Union officials with Unite Here Local 2 allege that although food service contractor Bon Appetit Management assured the workers that Oracle Park would be a safe environment when it reopened at full capacity in June, indoor mask mandates and social distancing protocols aren’t being enforced at the park, including at concourse concession stands and private suites.
With mask requirements allegedly going unenforced and an uptick in COVID-19 cases, the workers are demanding hazard pay of an extra $3 per hour.
In addition, because workers have to work 10 events per month to qualify for health care but only have nine events scheduled for some of the coming months, the workers are asking Bon Appetit to lower the threshold for health care eligibility to nine events per month.
Ballpark workers have struggled during the lockdown without secure health care and with little support from Bon Appetit or the Giants. Eligibility for health insurance is currently set at ten events per month, but some of the coming months have only nine events scheduled. Workers are asking to lower the eligibility threshold to nine events per month.
In negotiations on reopening, Bon Appetit promised workers that hazard pay was not warranted because working conditions would be safe. Workers are demanding hazard pay of $3 per hour.
“I voted yes to strike for our health and welfare. Some month’s there’s only nine events, and then we don’t get health insurance,” said Deborah Torrano, a suite attendant at Oracle Park. “Last night I must’ve told 200 people to put a mask on, and it’s stressful because a lot of them just make fun of you and give you attitude. I’ve worked at Oracle Park for 22 years and at Candlestick for 10 before that. We deserve better after all these years.”
Ballpark workers won their last contract after a one-day strike in 2013.
Good bye, you’ll never recoup the money lost from being on strike..course your working a deadend job anyway so what does it matter..
Don’t think you know how a strike works. Most strikes that happen get back pay for being on strike as the new contract will most likely include it. 2nd, A lot of people working at the parts do it because they are either retired and love the game and love the part or, Do it as a summer job to get some extra cash. If you earn money for working. Then do it.
Bye! No unemployment when going on strike. Won’t miss you.
As a non-union worker (at least in the last 30+ years), I always think, fine, strike, and we’ll fire you. Argued with my uncle and my father-in-law (actually all my inlaws) about strikes, etc.). If you are not paid what you think, find another job. I did this at least 2x in my young career. The position I was in was worth X amount of dollars per hour (and all incidental costs associated with employment-social security, payroll tax, benefits, etc.). I asked for a raise, my manager said no, the job you do is not worth that much. Is it really worth paying someone $/hour to flip burgers? Back when I did that, it was like $4.50/hour, and not a penny more (as I found out).. Sorry, but that is the reality, the tasks performed are not worth the amount of money being demanded. Good workers can always land a new job.
Sometimes it takes a work stoppage for an employer to realize that employees really ARE worth what they are asking to be paid.
People always say, “find a new job”, “move to another state”, “get a new wife”, or whatever. But some of us like to keep what we have and try to make it better.
@Chicken Little…you are correct, and that makes perfect sense…if it turns out that the job requires better compensation, that will be a lesson management hopefully will learn. But if it is a job that can not be made better, and it may not get better, not for lack of trying, but it is, after all a job, not a hobby, well, then that is what it is, and that is when you find a new job, or try at least.
Can someone please tell me how a worker getting paid $3/hr more equates to an employee’s improved health, safety and welfare? I don’t get the connection.
It doesn’t and the grumbling and complaining won’t go away.
The answer is in the article.
The “workers have to work 10 events per month to qualify for health care but only have nine events scheduled for some of the coming months, the workers are asking Bon Appetit to lower the threshold for health care eligibility to nine events per month.”
@Booyah
So it comes out to be normal pay plus a extra $3 an hour plus a easier way to qualify/get better health care plus better and safer working conditions.
@strad
Well most strikes get what they won’t or most so yes, grumbling and complaining will make it go away after they get what they want. Plus the company isn’t holding up to their end.
They are working not collecting welfare unemployment checks. I don’t know what they make but doubt they are overpaid. How much does a beer and hot dog cost at the park. Someone is making money.
RICARDOH:
Unemployment is NOT welfare, that’s why it is called unemployment insurance. Presumably, they’ve paid into the fund, and receiving unemployment is just a return from their insurance. Again; NOT WELFARE. When you file a claim with your insurance company for damage to your car, do you consider the insurance money you receive to be WELFARE? You ARE insured, aren’t you?
The Masked Poster
Unemployment is welfare when you refuse to take a job when thousands are available.
If you confuse unneeded unemployment benefits with insurance payoffs there is nothing more I care to say.
Because the government’s funding comes from taxpayers, welfare payments are funded by the taxpaying public and corporations. Unemployment benefits, on the other hand, are paid out of a fund into which your former employer contributed when you were working. So they are 2 different things but I can understand how we can say they are the same.
@Ricardoh
1 thing you have to understand. Those people that work at the ballpark only work 81 days. Less then 3 months. A lot of teams will be home for 3 days and then be on the road for 10+. That means those people worked 3 days in 2 weeks. So saying they are overpaid is a complete joke. They deal with drunks. People issues. Slobs while making the pall park 100’s of thousands. Did you know, The SF giants make more revenue per fan then any other team.
Me
You have a reading comprehension problem I said I doubt they are overpaid.
I gave up on attending games when they were worshiping BLM anyway and haven’t been back.
Besides $11 for a plastic cup of beer…. $6.50 for a tiny hotdog…..F’em.
I’ll continue to watch the games on tv as long as they’ve abandoned all that social justice BS.
I don’t do professional sports for all the usual reasons, one of which is the concession pricing. Every point of sale is a big middle finger to the fans. Classy. With an enormous captive audience on a super predictable schedule, the usual economics would allow for ballpark food to be gloriously CHEAP, not appallingly expensive. Like Costco hot dogs. Nothing sold in a major league ballpark should ever be over $5.
Fans need to strike against the MLB and stop supporting them. I wouldn’t attend a game for any reason. Astronomical player salaries are unwarranted and out of touch with reality.
You work 10 days a month and get benefits!!! wow..how much do these workers pay their union? How many hours a week do they have to work to pay for the union dues? No one ever questions how many hours a week or month go straight to union dues. No one…
If you are tired of any major league ball I have an alternative. Pick out a neighborhood little league team or soccer team and bring a comfortable folding chair. Once you recognize the players after a game or two they are more interesting than the majors.
They only need to work 10 days in a month to receive health care! I worked at a venue for many years. There were retirees, students, blue & white collar workers looking for a little extra cash, single moms & dads, & families. Low pay and no benefits. And many of us came back year after year because we enjoyed it. We all knew it was part time seasonal work. It wasn’t a career nor should it be treated as one. They want $3 more hour. There are alot of people that would like $3 more an hour. Quit complaining, go out and work somewhere else. Many places are hiring and offering good wages and as many hours as you want to work.
What qualifies as an event? There are 10 more Giants games scheduled for this month at Oracle.
I was self employed and once had a long discussion with a friend who was a senior financial official of a large corporation. We were trying to judge an equitable wage or rate. The final conclusion- “ You are worth as much as you can get” !
Very true. Being better than your competitors helps. My first job category had a two year apprenticeship. In six months they started paying me journeyman’s wages. I did more and better work then the journeymen. If you work hard and for the right company it pays off.
Do doctors, nurses, police, firefighters, grocery store clerks, bus drivers, EMT’s, USPS employees, pharmacist’s, cashiers etc etc etc get hazard pay!!! No. Your selling hot dogs…pitiful