Unionized employees at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California have voted to authorize a strike one week before the U.S. men’s national soccer team begins its World Cup campaign at the venue, according to a news release issued by Unite Here Local 11 on Friday, June 5.
The union represents about 2,000 workers, and the strike authorization vote passed with 96% in favor, according to the release.
Union members include cashiers, dishwashers, cooks, bartenders, concessions workers, and food attendants. The release stated that these workers could walk off the job “at any moment” if their demands are not met.
“It could get ugly, yes,” said Kurt Peterson, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, in comments to the Los Angeles Times.
The authorization vote was called after talks between Unite Here Local 11 and Legends Global, the stadium operator, reached a stalemate.
Negotiations between the parties are scheduled to resume Monday, June 8, just four days before the U.S. men’s team faces Paraguay on Friday, June 12 at SoFi Stadium.
The 70,000-seat stadium serves as the home venue for the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.
In a statement provided to USA TODAY Sports before the strike vote, Legends Global said, “Legends Global has enjoyed a strong relationship with Unite Here Local 11 for more than a decade and remains committed to reaching a fair agreement through good faith negotiations. We look forward to delivering an outstanding hospitality experience for fans at the FIFA World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, the main issues dividing the union and the stadium operator include stadium background check procedures, wage levels, and immigration-related demands.
FIFA, the global governing body for soccer and the organizer of the World Cup, is requiring that all workers provide Social Security numbers, fingerprints, and other sensitive information for background checks.
The union has objected to those requirements, arguing that the data could end up with the Department of Homeland Security.
Another point of contention is pay. The union says that the stadium operator has failed to meet its demand for a substantial raise to more than $30 an hour.
In addition, the union has expressed that it wants ICE kept out of SoFi Stadium.
The upcoming negotiations will occur as both sides position themselves ahead of the high-profile FIFA World Cup matches scheduled to take place at the venue.
No agreement has yet been announced between Unite Here Local 11 and Legends Global.