The union behind SoFi Stadium’s workforce has voted 96% in favor of authorizing a strike, ahead of the World Cup next week, a move that could cause a possible work stoppage as the venue prepares to serve as a key location in the soccer tournament.
Unite Here Local 11 represents the stadium’s nearly 2,000 cooks, dishwashers, concession workers, bartenders and servers. They had been voting Thursday and Friday on whether to strike.
The decision to strike comes after negotiations had stalled with the stadium’s food service operator and FIFA.
“SoFi Stadium cashiers, dishwashers, cooks, bartenders, concessions workers, and food attendants have voted 96 per cent in favor of authorizing a strike, meaning workers could walk off the job at any moment if their demands are not met,” the union said in a statement.
The union added that negotiations are scheduled to continue Monday ahead of the USA vs Paraguay match on June 12th.
The union represents more than 32,000 hospitality workers in SoCal.
“Union members point to the enormous revenues SoFi Stadium, including individual suite packages for more than $100,000, will generate during the World Cup and demand that the frontline workers providing this hospitality service deserve a fair share,” Unite Here said in a statement to ABC 7. Key Union Demands:
Immigration Safety Protocols: The right for employees to halt work and exit the venue if federal immigration enforcement activity creates a reasonable safety concern. Legends Global’s latest offer to the union included wage freezes for some suite attendants and bartenders, as well a 25 cent annual hourly wage increase for cooks and dishwashers.
Living Wage Standards: Pay structures adjusted for the Los Angeles cost of living, featuring premium rates for mega-events like the World Cup, alongside employer contributions to a dedicated hospitality worker housing fund.
Automation & Outsourcing Limits: Robust safeguards against job erosion caused by subcontracting, AI, and workplace automation.
The union’s members say they’re intimidated that immigration officials could snap them up based on how they “look.”
“It’s kind of scary when you feel that you’re in a bubble and you’re trying to walk to work, and not knowing if somebody is going to snatch and grab you and take you into custody because of how you look,” Yolanda Fierro, a suites runner at the stadium, told ABC7. “We just want to get to work, have fun, take care of our clients.”
The World Cup is scheduled to start on June 12 to wide fanfare in the United States with the American team facing off against Paraguay. Eight matches will be played at SoFi Stadium before the acclaimed tournament heads elsewhere.
Federal immigration authorities say ICE and HSI agents will be deployed “every day” during the 2026 FIFA World Cup to combat crimes tied to the massive international event, including counterfeit tickets, drug smuggling and human trafficking. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the focus would be on targeting “the worst of the worst,” not mass arrests.
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