Soccer fans flocking to SoFi Stadium to catch World Cup action later this summer could be met with quite the surprise.
Hundreds of hospitality workers are threatening to picket the games at the Inglewood venue if their working demands aren’t met in a new contract, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Unite Here Local 11 — which is representing bartenders, concession stand workers, cooks and dishwashers — is currently engaged in tense negotiations with Legends Global over SoFi Stadium workers’ employment conditions, the outlet reported.
The workers are seeking pay raises as well as a requisite that would bar FIFA from collecting their private information.
Legends Global, meanwhile, wants “wage freezes for some workers and a 25-cent hourly increase for cooks and dishwashers,” the LA Times reported.
If the workers’ demands are not met, Unite Here Local 11 co-president Kurt Petersen said a strike could ensue and things “could get ugly” at SoFi Stadium when World Cup games kick off there next week.
“We want a fair contract,” Petersen said. “But it takes two sides.”
A vote on a possible strike, according to the LA Times, will take place on Thursday and Friday.
Unite Here Local 11 and Legends Global are, however, reportedly slated to continue bargaining talks on Wednesday, and successful conversations could halt strike plans.
“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,” Legends Global spokeswoman Stacey Escudero said.
“We look forward to delivering an outstanding hospitality experience for fans at the FIFA World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium.”
Unite Here Local 11 is looking for a contract that’ll last the next 22 months, the LA Times reported.
The first World Cup game at SoFi Stadium will take place between the United States and Paraguay on June 12.
