A planned strike by nearly 2,000 food-service workers at SoFi Stadium was averted after United Here Local 11 and Legends Global reached a tentative labor deal ahead of the U.S. World Cup opener. The agreement follows a last-week vote that backed strike authori
On the days leading up to the U.S. World Cup opener at SoFi Stadium, the risk wasn’t just a labor dispute—it was the possibility that thousands of workers who keep the tournament running could walk off the job.
That threat eased Tuesday when United Here Local 11 and Legends Global. the stadium’s food-service operator. agreed to a tentative deal. preventing a strike that had been authorized by the union last week. The nearly 2. 000 workers represented by the union—dishwashers. concession workers. bartenders and servers—had voted to authorize a walkout. with 96% of those voting supporting striking.
Union members said they wanted more than higher pay. They pressed for salary increases, protections against subcontracting and job loss through automation, and they rejected FIFA’s request that workers provide sensitive private information, including nationality and home addresses.
Details of the new contract were not released. Still, the dispute had been shaped by sharply different proposals. The union demanded “substantial increases” that would put pay above $30 an hour. while Legends had proposed wage freezes for some workers and a 25-cent hourly increase for cooks and dishwashers.
Kurt Petersen, the union’s co-president, called the tentative outcome a major win. “We got major economic gains and significant protections around subcontracting automation,” Petersen said. He added, “I don’t know the soccer analogy, but it’s a grand slam of a contract.”
Legends also portrayed the agreement as a step toward a smoother tournament. In a statement, the company said it was “pleased to have reached an agreement with Unite Here Local 11 and look forward to delivering an outstanding hospitality experience for fans at the FIFA World Cup matches.”
Petersen said the final disagreements came down to two key issues: a prohibition preventing any accrediting agency. including Legends. from sharing workers’ personal information; and a right for union members to walk off the job without prejudice if they believe they are threatened by the presence of Department of Homeland Security or Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials at the stadium.
“That was the last piece that fell into place [Monday] afternoon, which, you know, is a unique, unprecedented provision,” Petersen said. “Because when you have a contract, you can’t strike. We carved out this exception.”
FIFA, the global soccer governing body and the organizer of the World Cup, said it needed the information for a background-check procedure. The union feared that the sensitive data could be shared with immigration authorities.
The strike would have hit at the worst possible time for SoFi Stadium and for fans planning to arrive for the first match. Petersen said union members had been working without a contract for a year. and that workers would have picketed the stadium ahead of Friday’s tournament opener between the U.S. and Paraguay.
SoFi Stadium isn’t just hosting one game. It will play host to seven other World Cup matches, including the U.S. group-play finale with Turkey on June 25.
Petersen described the stakes in straightforward terms: “The privacy concerns, and then the ability to strike. It’s about being able to work in peace, right? Being able at least to have some protections.”
FIFA declined to comment on the contract talks. saying they are “between Legends Global and Unite Here Local 11.” But it said its insistence on collecting personal information was part of broader security efforts. FIFA said it was partnering with the governments of the U.S. Canada and Mexico—the three countries where the 39-day tournament will be played—to enhance safety and security of workers. staff. team members. vendors. journalists. volunteers and spectators by mitigating potential insider threats. FIFA also said name checks do not constitute pre-employment checks.
As for the labor contract itself, Petersen said it runs through April 2028. It will expire about 2 ½ months before the 2028 Olympics comes to SoFi Stadium.
For now. at least. the deal means workers will head into Friday’s opening match with a path forward—after months of waiting. last week’s overwhelming strike authorization. and a late push to resolve the most volatile concerns: pay. job security. and what happens to workers’ personal information at the gates of a global event.
SoFi Stadium Unite Here Local 11 Legends Global World Cup labor deal strike FIFA worker privacy automation subcontracting Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement
So they were gonna strike but then it was about home addresses?? wild.
Not gonna lie I don’t get the privacy part. Like FIFA already knows everything anyway. Either way glad they didn’t walk out right before the World Cup.
Wait, so the union wanted workers’ info not shared, and FIFA asked for nationality and home addresses? That sounds scary but also like normal paperwork?? I’m just confused how that even became the main issue when half the stuff is about pay above $30.
Food-service workers always get treated like NPCs at stadiums. They finally push back and now it’s a “major win” like baseball?? “Grand slam” lmao. I bet the contract stuff will still be trash though, because they never release the details. Also $30 an hour or wage freezes… sounds like they’ll meet in the middle and call it victory.