Stadium workers near LA say they have a tentative deal, averting strike ahead of World Cup

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INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Southern California stadium workers who threatened to strike for the U.S. men’s soccer team's opening World Cup match said Tuesday they expect to stay on the job after reaching a tentative contract deal with higher wages and more labor protections.

The union representing 2,000 bartenders, servers, cooks and dishwashers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, announced the deal at a news conference and said workers would vote Wednesday on whether to ratify it. It came after workers last week voted to authorize a strike as contract talks had stalled with the stadium’s food service provider, Legends Global.

In a statement, Legends Global said the company was pleased to reach an agreement with workers and looks forward to providing “an outstanding hospitality experience” at the World Cup matches in Inglewood. Eight matches are scheduled for SoFi Stadium, starting with Friday’s match between the U.S. and Paraguay. The stadium, which opened in 2020, seats 70,000 people and is home to the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.

Workers said they won wage increases and protections from subcontracting. The tentative contract will give stadium cooks among the highest wages for the job in the country, with many earning $40 an hour in about two years, said Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, which represents the workers. That's well above California's minimum wage.

“Economically, it is the strongest agreement at any NFL stadium,” Petersen told reporters outside the stadium near Los Angeles, while workers cheered. “In short, we won every major issue that we brought to the table.”

The contract would last through April 2028 — just ahead of the Olympic Games in Los Angeles — and includes protections against subcontracting and a contribution to build housing for hospitality workers. Some cooks currently make about $31 an hour and will see their hourly wages rise over the next two years to $38 or $39, said Islagisbel Castillo, 21, a suite cook on the bargaining committee.

“This is a very proud moment for all of us,” said Yolanda Fierro, who works at the stadium. “We really want to secure the safety of all our employees.”

One of the key sticking points in contract negotiations was workers' demand for protection on the job in the event of immigration raids, Petersen said.

The Los Angeles area was a target of ramped-up enforcement last summer, and community and union groups have raised concerns about the potential for federal raids during the World Cup. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna last week said the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had assured him federal authorities would be at matches to assist with security, not civil immigration enforcement.

Under the deal, Petersen said workers retained the right to strike in case of an immigration raid at work. He said no other collective bargaining agreement in the country includes such a provision.

“We hope we never need to use that right," Petersen said.

The World Cup is expected to draw millions of fans to matches across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, over 39 days this month and next.

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Taxin reported from Santa Ana, Calif.