World Cup Tensions Rise as US Hospitality Workers Threaten Strikes

As the World Cup countdown ticks toward 11 June, a different kind of tension is building around some of the tournament’s US host cities. Not on the pitch, but in the kitchens, behind the bars and at the front desks — among the workers expected to feed and serve the influx of fans.

From Los Angeles to Seattle to Philadelphia, thousands of hospitality and food service workers are threatening to walk out just as the world’s biggest single-sport event arrives.

LA workers at SoFi threaten walkout on eve of US opener

In Los Angeles, the numbers are stark. Around 2,000 workers at SoFi Stadium, represented by Unite Here Local 11, have voted by 96% to authorize a strike as they push for a new contract. Cashiers, dishwashers, cooks, bartenders, concessions workers, food attendants — the entire operation that keeps a modern stadium running — could stop at any moment.

The timing could not be more pointed. The US men’s opening match against Paraguay is scheduled for 12 June at SoFi.

“We’re just trying to make things fair,” said Eva Miles, a bartender at the stadium since it opened in 2021. For her, the World Cup spotlight only sharpens the basic question: who really makes these events possible?

“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 says she cannot afford to live anywhere near the gleaming venue she works in. She spends two hours commuting each day; some colleagues travel even longer. The union is pushing for pay above $30 an hour.

“Let’s see them live on our wage, let’s see them raise a family,” she said. She talks about loving the job, the buzz of meeting new people, the pride in giving guests a great experience. Then she points to the contradiction: fans spending heavily, organizers spending heavily on the Fifa World Cup, and the workers who serve them fighting just to keep up.

“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 dispute in Los Angeles is not only about wages. Unite Here, alongside the ACLU of Southern California and LAANE, has filed a formal complaint with the California Privacy Protection Agency and the state’s department of justice over Fifa’s accreditation policy. The policy, they argue, forces workers to divulge immigration information simply to work World Cup shifts.

For a union whose members include immigrants from nearly 200 countries, that requirement cuts deep.

“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 Enrique Fernández, general vice-president for immigration, civil rights, and diversity at Unite Here. The union traces its roots back to the 1912 Bread and Roses strike in Lawrence, Massachusetts, led by immigrant textile workers — a history that still shapes its identity.

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

“Legends Global has enjoyed a strong relationship with Unite Here Local 11 for more than a decade and remains committed to reaching a fair agreement through good faith negotiations,” a spokesperson said in an email. “We look forward to delivering an outstanding hospitality experience for fans at the Fifa World Cup matches at Los Angeles Stadium (SoFi Stadium).”

The message from management is calm. The threat from workers is clear: without a deal, that “outstanding experience” is at risk.

Seattle hotel staff push back ahead of six World Cup games

The rumblings are not confined to California.

In Seattle, where Lumen Field will host six World Cup matches, hotel workers at the Embassy Suite Hilton have also voted to authorize a strike. Unite Here Local 8 reports a 94% vote in favor among roughly 100 workers at the property.

Their demands mirror those in Los Angeles: higher pay, protections from ICE, better staffing, and crucially, year-round health insurance coverage.

“We need the wages to improve,” said front desk employee Hayden Eyerly. He says the hotel’s offer — about $0.80 an hour in annual raises over the life of the contract — simply does not match the reality of rising costs, especially fuel.

“No one here thinks that is reasonable, because of the rising cost of everything, gas prices in particular.”

Eyerly describes a workforce stretched thin. Staffing levels, he says, have not returned to what they were before the pandemic. Some workers regularly lose health insurance during the tourism offseason when their hours are cut.

“Everyone is very tired. Every department has been working on a skeleton crew,” he said. “We’re trying to make real changes, a real positive impact in our lives. We all deserve to work one job, we all deserve to come home and have the energy to be there for our families.”

Immigration status hangs over the Seattle dispute as well. Eyerly notes that many of his colleagues are immigrants who have been advised by their attorneys not to speak publicly, out of fear that doing so could trigger retaliation tied to their status.

The hotel insists it is prepared if a strike hits during the World Cup.

A Hilton spokesperson said the property has contingency plans in place and added: “We remain committed to negotiating in good faith to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that benefits both our valued Team Members and our hotel.”

Philadelphia braces for possible hotel strikes

On the opposite coast, Philadelphia is staring at its own showdown.

Workers at six hotels in the city, represented by Unite Here Local 274, are threatening strikes during World Cup matches after their contracts expired without new agreements. The union has set a strike deadline of 12 June — the same date as the US opener in Los Angeles — if no deals are in place.

At the Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District, server Maciah Magloughlin outlines what staff are fighting for: significant wage increases, a cap of 15 rooms per day for housekeepers, ICE protections for immigrant workers, and more affordable health coverage for dependents.

“The hotels have the money to give us what we deserve,” Magloughlin said, pointing to projections that the World Cup could bring a $770m economic boost to the Philadelphia area.

For him, the numbers tell a simple story. If the tournament is set to pour hundreds of millions into the local economy, the people who clean rooms, serve meals and keep operations moving want to share in that windfall.

“What we’re fighting for is that the people who hold this industry up on their back also get a piece of that, because people are fighting to send their kids to school or take time off or buy groceries, and that’s not fair, especially when we’ve got such a big summer coming.”

The Wyndham Philadelphia Historic District, with negotiations still ongoing, struck a conciliatory tone in a statement on the strike threat.

“We respect our team members’ rights to engage in legally protected activities and look forward to reaching a fair contract. While discussions are ongoing, we remain committed to ensuring our guests enjoy their stay.”

A World Cup framed by labor tension

World Cups are usually framed by talk of tactics, ticket prices, and transport chaos. This one is being framed, in part, by workers who serve the food, clean the rooms and pour the drinks warning that they might not be there when the first whistle blows.

The stakes are obvious. Stadiums like SoFi, hotels near Lumen Field, and properties across Philadelphia are preparing for a surge in demand. The workers who make that surge possible are using the rare leverage that comes with a global event landing in their backyard.

If agreements arrive in time, the story will fade into the background noise of a packed tournament. If they do not, the images that define this World Cup in the US may include picket lines outside venues built to showcase the sport’s biggest stage.