Fenway concession workers ratify new contract after a year of negotiations that included a strike

Local News

“For me, this is also about respect,” Austin Petruzziello, a Fenway worker, said in a press release.

Fenway Park workers ratified a new contract with the historic ballpark that includes wage increases, improved gratuities, and added ID checkers, their union said.

“This raise changes what’s possible for Fenway families,” said Laruen Casello, a Fenway worker, in a press release from UNITE HERE Local 26, the union representing food workers at Fenway. “It means moms can pay bills on time and plan ahead, not just survive week to week. It means moms and dads who love this job can afford to stay, do it well and keep writing Fenway history.”

Fenway concession workers signed the contract with Aramark on Dec. 27, Local 26 said. Aramark contracts with Fenway Park to provide food services there.

The new deal comes after the previous contact ended on Dec. 24, 2024, and union workers went on a three day strike in July. The strikers demanded higher wages, new guidelines around automation, and better scheduling. 

“For me, this is also about respect,” Austin Petruzziello, a Fenway worker, said in the press release. “Respect is stable schedules, enough staff to do the job right, and being listened to when we say what works and what doesn’t on a busy night. When workers are treated with respect, fans feel it too.”

The ratified contract is set to increase pay for tipped workers by $5 over including a $2 retroactive raise and with an additional $0.75 increase by the start of the season. Non-tipped workers will receive a $10 wage increase over five years, while catering gratuity increased to 17%, announced Local 26.

The contract also includes guidelines for “safe, responsible service” which increases the amount of self-checkout ID checkers to one checker per two machines, Local 26 said.

“We value our employees, and we are pleased to have reached an agreement in this process that works for both parties,” Aramark said in a statement.