Future remains unclear for Fenway concession workers as strike ends for now

FENWAY PARK — The future is unclear for concession workers at Fenway Park, after they hit the picket line during the Red Sox’s weekend series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

According to UNITE HERE Local 26, the strike ended Sunday night at 11.

The next home game for the Red Sox is not until Friday, so concession workers are expected to go back to their jobs this week.

A spokesperson for UNITE HERE Local 26 told Boston 25 News that in the coming days, the bargaining committee will decide if the picket line will pick back up again.

Michael O’Toole has been working as a concession worker at Fenway for the last 20 years.

O’Toole said in addition to better wages, workers are also pushing back against automated interactions inside.

“They’re trying to make the park turn into like a fast food restaurant where you walk in and you order with tablets and we’re trying to prevent that,” O’Toole said.

Some baseball fans said their experience at Sunday’s game was impacted by the strike.

“We had employees that had to leave their station and had to go somewhere else to grab it because it was not there,” Kevin Ramirez said about his experience purchasing a water. “The workforce wasn’t there.”

“Nobody was offering peanuts, hot dogs,” Dodgers fan Cristopher Spears said. “There was nobody walking down the steps or anything.”

Many fans tell Boston 25 News they hope UNITE HERE Local 26 and Aramark can reach an agreement in the near future.

“I think it’s a perfectly American thing to do to protest and if they feel like they’re being underpaid, they should be paid more money,” Red Sox fan Nick Plouffe said.

According to a spokesperson for UNITE HERE Local 26, whether the bargaining committee decides to picket again will depend on what Aramark brings to the table next, if anything.

When Boston 25 News asked Aramark what their next steps are, Aramark referred to their most recent statement, which said:

<i>We have bargained in good faith and are disappointed the union rejected our latest offer and chose to call a strike. We are committed to delivering an outstanding fan experience and have contingency plans in place to ensure fans will not encounter service interruptions.</i>

—  Aramark

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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