Aramark workers in Philadelphia overwhelmingly vote to authorize strike at the Wells Fargo Center
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Aramark workers on Sunday overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philadelphia, a union spokesperson said in a release.
The workers are represented by Unite Here Local 274 -- Philadelphia's food service workers union. The union voted 92% to authorize a strike if necessary.
Chris Collom, Aramark's vice president of corporate communications, said in a statement Monday morning, "We have had several meetings with the bargaining committee in an effort to reach a new agreement, and we intend to keep working toward a settlement that works for everyone. In the event of a strike, we have contingency plans in place to ensure that services are not interrupted."
The union is demanding food service jobs through Aramark at the Wells Fargo Center should be like other full-time, year-round jobs and offer health care benefits and higher wages.
"As a woman working in the stadiums year round, I wholeheartedly support voting yes to strike at Aramark because access to health care is not a luxury, it's a necessity," Tiffani Davis, a concessions worker at Wells Fargo Center, said in a release. "Juggling multiple responsibilities at home and facing the unpredictability of life, I've come to realize the importance of having health care. It's time for Aramark to recognize the basic human right to healthcare and provide us with the support we need to care for ourselves and our families."
Earlier in March, Aramark workers picketed at the Wells Fargo Center to demand better wages and health care benefits.
Following the vote, a spokesperson said in a release that it will be up to the "worker-led negotiating committee to decide if and when the food workers at Wells Fargo Center will go on strike."
The Flyers' next home game isn't until Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks. The Sixers play the Los Angeles Clippers at home on Wednesday.