Striking Workers Demand ICE-Free Zone at L.A. World Cup Game
Stadium workers at SoFi Stadium voted 96 percent to authorize a strike over wages and demands to bar immigration enforcement, threatening to disrupt the FIFA World Cup opener Friday.
According to Breitbart News, an extraordinary 96 percent of approximately 2,000 workers represented by UNITE HERE Local 11 backed the strike authorization, giving union leadership the power to call a walkout at any time if their demands are not satisfied.
The concession workers at the Los Angeles venue—including cooks, bartenders, dishwashers, servers and cashiers—have been locked in negotiations with stadium operators Legends Global over multiple grievances. Union officials view strike action as the only remaining leverage to secure a favorable settlement.
In a statement released Friday evening, the union confirmed that workers could walk off the job at any moment if agreements are not reached, with further negotiations scheduled for Monday ahead of the crucial USA versus Paraguay match on June 12.
Among the union’s key demands is a controversial requirement that FIFA guarantee the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol will have no presence or enforcement role at World Cup venues. UNITE HERE Local 11 is insisting on explicit assurances that no civil immigration enforcement activities will occur at the stadium, citing concerns among staff members.
Multiple bargaining sessions last week failed to produce a breakthrough, leaving the situation unresolved as the tournament’s opening approaches.
SoFi Stadium is scheduled to host eight FIFA World Cup matches during the competition, including two of the United States’ three group-stage fixtures and three knockout-stage games. One of those knockout matches is a quarterfinal set for July 10.
The international tournament begins June 11 and comprises 78 matches played at venues across the United States.
With information from Breitbart News
