Workers at a stadium near Los Angeles have reportedly agreed to a tentative contract deal, successfully avoiding a strike just ahead of the United States men’s national team’s opening World Cup match on Friday.
The union made the announcement during a press conference on Tuesday.
Representing 2,000 bartenders, servers, cooks, and dishwashers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, the union had voted last week to authorize a strike due to stalled negotiations with the stadium’s food service provider, Legends Global.
Workers of UNITE HERE Local 11 expressed demands for wage increases, protections against subcontracting, and job security amid heightened immigration enforcement initiatives during the Trump administration.
This summer’s World Cup is anticipated to attract millions of fans across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico over a 39-day period.
Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11, hailed the agreement as “the strongest at any NFL stadium,” noting that the new wages will allow most workers to earn $40 per hour or more, with tipped employees seeing a minimum 30% increase in their pay.
Community organizations in cities like Atlanta and Miami, which are also World Cup host locations, have urged for a suspension of U.S. immigration enforcement during the matches, citing concerns that arrests near stadiums and viewing parties could disrupt the celebrations.
A total of eight matches are scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium, beginning with Friday’s game between the U.S. and Paraguay.