Dodgers agree to five-year contracts with stadium workers, ending threat of a strike

The Dodgers and the union, which represents some 450 stadium workers, agreed on two new five-year contracts, the sides announced Tuesday, ending months of tense negotiations.

According to a statement released by the parties, the contracts provide the lowest-paid employees at Dodger Stadium with overall wage increases of between 45% and 50% on game days over the five-year period. Workers affected by the contracts include ushers, security guards, ticket takers, ticket sellers, hospitality team members and groundskeepers. Full-time employees and ushers have separate contracts.

“I’m proud of all members of our SEIU-USWW union for their hard work and strong organization,” said Irene Aguilar, Dodger Stadium usher and SEIU-USWW board member, in the statement. “Thank you to the Dodgers for working with us to reach a fair agreement that will benefit stadium workers for years to come.”

The workers’ previous contract expired on January 31. Since then, the employees have been working with the expired contract. According to SEIU-USWW officials, negotiations began in November.

More than 80 workers gathered to protest outside Dodger Stadium earlier this month before the Dodgers featured the New York Yankees on national television to draw attention to their situation.

“In my 27 years of working with SEIU and representing these workers, we have never had to go on strike,” SEIU-USWW President David Huerta said after the protest. “But the circumstances that we are dealing with – if you look at inflation, you look at the profitability of this organization, the cost of living – the wages that are being negotiated now, these workers understand that this is the right time for them be able to negotiate what they think they need to survive in this city.”

The latest contract included an 18% wage increase over five years. Union officials argued that with inflation and the cost of living soaring in recent years, a more significant increase was needed.

In October concession workers reached agreement on a contract This included an increase of at least $10 over a two-year period threatens to hit the All-Star Game three months earlier.

However, those workers are employed by Levy Restaurants, a Chicago-based company that operates the Dodger Stadium concessions. The workers represented by SEIU USWW are direct employees of the Dodgers.

“These new contracts validate the strong working relationship that exists between the Dodgers and SEIU-USWW, and we thank David Huerta and the other union representatives for their cooperation throughout the negotiation process,” said Stan Kasten, Dodgers president and CEO.