Food service employees at SoFi Stadium have secured a preliminary labor deal with their employer just days ahead of World Cup competition beginning at the Inglewood venue.
Unite Here Local 11, which represents roughly 2,000 food and beverage staff members, announced the tentative agreement with Legends Hospitality includes substantial pay raises, restrictions on subcontracting work, limitations on implementing new automated systems, and safeguards for worker privacy during credential processes for large events.
The labor organization highlighted an unusual clause allowing employees to walk off their jobs if the union determines federal immigration enforcement activities at the stadium pose safety risks to workers during World Cup games. Union officials called this provision groundbreaking.
Stadium workers will cast ballots Wednesday to decide whether to approve the proposed contract. Complete terms of the agreement will be made public following the ratification vote.
The labor deal would remain in effect until April 30, 2028, matching the timeline of over 100 other contracts covering stadium, hotel and airport food service workers that are set to end before the Los Angeles Olympics begin in two years, according to the union.
“These workers are heroes,” Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, said in a statement. “If federal immigration agencies threaten workers’ safety, our members have the right to walk off the job. That is now in their contract.”
The United States is set to face Paraguay on Friday at SoFi Stadium, which will operate under the name Los Angeles Stadium throughout the tournament. The venue will host eight total matches during the competition.
