As Eagles season kicks off, Aramark workers at Lincoln Financial Field vote to authorize a strike

Aramark food service workers employed at Lincoln Financial Field have agreed to walk off the job if and when their union calls for a strike.

The unionized workers, who staff the football field’s food and drink vendors, passed a strike authorization vote on Friday, with 84% voting yes. They have been demanding better pay and benefits as they negotiate a new contract.

The number of workers who voted was not disclosed.

The Eagles’ season opener against the Green Bay Packers is in Brazil on Friday evening, but the Linc won’t be empty. A sold-out watch party began at 6 p.m. with fans gathered to view the first NFL game ever held in South America.

The Eagles’ first home game is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 16, at 8:15 p.m. against the Atlanta Falcons.

“We remain committed to bargaining in good faith to reach a settlement that works for all parties,” Chris Collom, Aramark’s vice president for corporate communications, said in a statement Friday, before the announcement of the final vote. “Unfortunately, the union and its members have decided to conduct a strike vote. In the event of a strike, we have contingency plans in place to ensure our services are not interrupted and that the fan experience remains strong.”

Aramark employees at the Linc, Wells Fargo Center, and Citizens Bank Park, represented by Unite Here Local 274, saw their most recent contracts expire in March. Many of them work at more than one of the South Philly stadiums, and would like to see contracts with better pay and benefits.

“We’re just surviving” under the old contract, said Tiffani Davis, who works at all three stadiums and has been employed by Aramark for eight years.

Aramark workers at the other two venues have already approved work stoppages this year. Wells Fargo Center workers voted in March, and walked off the job twice in April. Those who work at Citizens Bank Park voted to authorize a strike last Sunday.

Less than 100 Aramark workers with the union have year-round health care across all three stadiums, according to Ryan Nissim-Sabat, an organizer with the union.

Earlier this summer, the union rejected a proposal from Aramark that included annual raises of 50 cents more per hour for workers.

In total, some 1,500 Aramark workers represented by the union are employed at all three stadiums. Aramark workers have a separate contract at each stadium and pay varies among the agreements. The union wants Aramark to change that by setting a single standard for benefits and wages across all stadium workers.

Aramark brought in nearly $19 billion in revenue last year, and has almost 300,000 employees, with operations in over 20 countries.

“We create a lot of memories for people that come to these stadiums,” said Davis. “I will hope that Aramark knows that we really love this job, but we also love ourself, and we also love our family, and we take a lot from our kids and our loved ones to be here, and we would love to have a piece of that pie.”

All three stadiums are now on strike watch, but the union has not announced plans for any scheduled work stoppage as of yet. The worker negotiating committee will decide if, when, and where a strike is called, according to a spokesperson for the union.

“For the workers, it takes courage,” said Davis, who noted that several workers are living paycheck to paycheck. ”We’re ready to fight. We’re tired of being mistreated. This is a billion-dollar company, and the next thing we’re doing is we’re gonna go on the picket line.”

Workers employed at Wells Fargo Center have already gone on strike this year. In April, workers walked off the job toward the beginning of the month, asking fans not to purchase food or drinks on game night inside the center. Later in the month they again held another strike ahead of a Sixers playoff game.

In June, Aramark’s food service workers conducted a “civil disobedience” action outside the company’s headquarters in Center City to bring attention to their struggle to get new contracts in line with their demands. The protest disrupted rush-hour traffic, and supporters joined from Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. By the end of the day, at least 45 people were arrested.