A week ahead of Major League Baseball's All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium, the union representing concession workers at the ballpark announced Monday it has authorized a strike that "could be called at any moment.''
Maria Hernandez, a spokeswoman for the Unite Here Local 11 union, said in a statement that stadium food and beverage workers voted by a 99% margin Sunday to authorize a walkout.
The union represents some 1,500 servers, bartenders, suite attendants, cooks and dishwashers at Dodger Stadium, "an overwhelming majority of whom are workers of color,'' the union said.
"These workers are seeking to negotiate a fair new union contract,'' the union statement said, without providing specific demands.
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The workers are employed by Chicago-based Levy Restaurants, which runs the concessions at Dodger Stadium. Kevin Memolo, director of communications for Levy, did not immediately reply to an email seeking the company's response.
"Levy Restaurants promised that all the properties that they run and that they manage in Los Angeles that they were going to be union and we are going to have benefits and it's not been happening for the last 10 years," said Laura Ortiz a bartender. "They need to know that they need to back us up and do a fair contract and give all the employees the benefits we deserve."
With the Dodgers off Monday and playing on the road through Saturday, there would be no immediate impact of any walkout. All-Star festivities begin Saturday at Dodger Stadium with MLB's Futures Game, a celebrity softball game and a concert by Becky G.
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Next Monday, the All-Star Home Run Derby is scheduled, followed by the All-Star Game itself next Tuesday.
The Major League Baseball Players’ Associated released a statement in support of the workers.
"The MLBPA stands in solidarity with the Dodger Stadium concessions workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 11. Like thousands of ballpark workers across the country, Local 11’s members are a vital yet under appreciated part of what makes our game great. They deserve to be treated fairly and will continue to have the 1,200 members of the MLBPA behind them."
