US stadium and hotel workers threaten strikes ‘to make things fair’ during World Cup

Fifa signage seen at the LA Stadium, temporarily renamed from SoFi Stadium. Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenFifa signage seen at the LA Stadium, temporarily renamed from SoFi Stadium. Photograph: Patrick T Fallon/AFP/Getty ImagesWorld Cup 2026US stadium and hotel workers threaten strikes ‘to make things fair’ during World CupLow wages and fears of ICE crackdowns have set workers on edge of strike as thousands set to arrive during World Cup

Hospitality and food service workers in several US cities hosting World Cup games are warning of looming labor disputes and possible strikes as the largest single sport tournament in the world gets ready to kick off on 11 June.

In Los Angeles, California, cashiers, dishwashers, cooks, bartenders, concessions workers and food attendants at the SoFi stadium reached a tentative agreement on Tuesday afternoon, but the union noted it had a contractual right to walk off the job if it determines that federal immigration enforcement is threatening worker safety during the World Cup. The US’s opening match, against Paraguay, is scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium – rebranded as the Los Angeles Stadium for the tournament – on 12 June.

About 2,000 workers at SoFi Stadium represented by Unite Here Local 11 had voted 96% in favor of a strike authorization before the agreement was reached on Tuesday. Workers are seeking a new union contract with wage increases and protections from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

“We’re just trying to make things fair,” said Eva Miles, a bartender at SoFi stadium since it opened in 2021. “Without us, they don’t have a stadium. Are they going to cook? Are they going to pour those drinks? Are they going to serve these people?”

Miles said she and her co-workers cannot afford to live near the stadium on the wages they are currently paid. She commutes two hours to work every day and said some co-workers have even longer journeys.

“Let’s see them live on our wage, let’s see them raise a family,” added Miles. Workers are pushing for pay above $30 an hour. “I’ve been there since the beginning. I love meeting new people. I want my guests to be happy, and I want them to enjoy it and have a great experience. I know they spend a lot of money, and I know they’re spending a lot of money on this Fifa World Cup, so I don’t understand why we can’t get what we want and everybody be happy.”

The unions ACLU of Southern California and LAANE have also filed a formal complaint with California privacy protection agency and the California department of justice, over Fifa’s accreditation policy that requires workers to divulge immigration information in order to work this summer’s World Cup.

Enrique Fernández, the general vice-president for immigration, civil rights and diversity at Unite Here, noted many members of the union are immigrants who will be working at hospitality venues across World Cup host cities.

Members of the union include immigrants from nearly 200 countries; the union traces its foundation back to the 1912 Bread and Roses strike of textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts, organized by immigrant founders of the union.

“They experience the effects of anti-immigrant policy and rhetoric every day, and they don’t need the added stress of tracking ICE agents at their workplaces,” said Fernández.

SoFi Stadium declined to comment, deferring to Legends Global, the concessionaire that employs the workers.