TD Garden concession workers contemplate strike ahead of holidays - The Boston Globe
Should a strike vote pass, the Garden could be without hundreds of employees to staff concerts, holiday events, and Bruins and Celtics games.
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The concession workers who staff the pizza stalls and beer taps at TD Garden will decide whether to strike on Sunday, after three months of stalled union contract negotiations with management.
The union representing around 600 employees, from the suites to the merchandise stands, says that New York-based Delaware North has shrugged off its calls for better pay and protections, even as two Celtics’ Finals runs, March Madness, and other events have bolstered business in and around the arena.
Should a strike vote pass, the Garden could be without hundreds of employees to staff concerts, holiday events, and Bruins and Celtics games.
In a statement, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1445 said its members are seeking stronger retirement benefits, protection from efforts to automate their jobs, and higher commission rates — a percentage return on sales for employees, which have not been raised in roughly a decade.
Workers’ last three-year contract expired in August.
“TD Garden Management is claiming they couldn’t afford any increase to commission rates which have been frozen for years, despite operating the 6th most profitable arena in North America,” the statement read. “As the overall cost of living has increased across the Boston area, workers are seeking to achieve strong increases in commission rates to set a standard for the industry.”A Delaware North spokesperson said the company “is fully committed to negotiating in good faith with the United Food and Commercial Workers to reach a fair agreement for our team members while upholding our exceptional service standards and avoiding event interruption at TD Garden.”
Employees’ fears about automation and artificial intelligence follow moves at the Garden and Fenway Park to streamline service. Neither accepts cash anymore, and Fenway debuted AI-powered checkout two years ago. Moves that allow people to buy a Coke and peanuts without a cashier “could significantly reduce the workforce,” the union’s statement read.
Garden concession workers also considered a strike in 2020 near the end of the last round of contract negotiations.
