When hospitality workers with UNITE HERE Local 26 at Fenway Park walked off the job for a three-game strike in July, it was unclear what the future would hold.
But after workers at Fenway and MGM Music Hall came to agreement on a new contract with food services company Aramark over the weekend, Austin Petruzziello, who has been a vendor at Fenway for 10 seasons, could breathe a sigh of relief that another strike wouldn’t be in the cards anytime soon.
“We were prepared to do it again if we hadn’t come to an agreement,” Petruzziello said. “I think everyone, all of my coworkers, were on board for another strike, so I’m glad we could avoid that and get this contract settled.”
The ratification of the five-year contract ends a year of sometimes tense negotiations between the workers and company. Organizers also hope it can serve as a model for how technology can be talked about in the workplace.
Carlos Aramayo, president of UNITE HERE Local 26, said that the settlement provides the largest wage increases in the history of Fenway Park. That includes a $10 wage increase over five years for non-tipped workers. Tipped workers will get a $5 increase over five years, plus a $2 retroactive raise and an additional 75 cents by the start of the season. There will also be a gratuity increase for catering and an increase on vending commissions.
“In terms of the raw economics of the agreement, [it’s] a very, very significant agreement that will allow our members at Fenway — we have over 1,000 members at Fenway — to be able to live in this city and to prosper in the city along with the team and with Aramark,” Aramayo said.
Besides money, a major sticking point for negotiations was the use of technology, specifically, self-checkout machines. Workers were concerned that automated technology would replace staff and potentially endanger fans, such as overserving alcohol to guests or selling to minors. While the new contract won’t get rid of the automated machines, it sets a standard for staff oversight of the technology.
Aramayo said the question of self-checkout machines made this the most complicated bargaining process he had ever been a part of. He said they brought in workers, an expert from MIT and Aramark to talk through the issue.
“And together we were able to reach an agreement that the tech will still be there so that fans can get their beer a little bit faster, but our members aren’t gonna bear the cost of that,” he said. “And I think that is a model that really should exist in any discussion of technology in the workplace. And I am so proud of our members, who had to have some tough conversations about this this, who were able to get to a place where we were able to settle the agreement on tech.”
In a statement, Aramark said that they value their employees and are “pleased to have reached an agreement in this process that works for both parties.”
“We remain focused on delivering an outstanding experience for the fans, customers and clients at Fenway and MGM now and into the future,” the statement continued.
And now with Spring Training and another season not too far around the corner, workers at Fenway like Joe Baio, who has been at Fenway for 16 years, will be able to head into the new year with a little less to worry about.
“We’re looking forward to going back to work doing what we love,” he said.
