Fenway Park concession workers officially on strike, as Red Sox face Dodgers in hot series

Rick Sobey, Boston Herald on Jul 25, 2025

Published in Baseball

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BOSTON — Strrrrrrrrrrrrrike three!

Fenway Park concession workers are officially on strike, as the Red Sox face the Dodgers in a hot weekend series this weekend.

The union warned that they would go on strike at 12 p.m. Friday if a contract deal was not reached with Aramark and Fenway Park.

MGM concession workers are also part of the strike.

“BREAKING NEWS at America’s Most Beloved Ballpark: As of 12 noon today, @Aramark workers @fenwaypark and @MGMMusicHallworkers are ON STRIKE for the entire @RedSox vs @Dodgers homestand! #OnStrike,” posted the union UNITE HERE Local 26.

The union has been urging fans not to cross the picket lines during the weekend series — telling them not to buy any food or drinks while inside the park.

“Respect the picket line — we know tix are expensive, we’re not asking you to stay away from the home games,” the union posted on Friday. “But we ARE asking you to not buy concessions. No purchase of pretzels, pickles or peanuts inside the ballpark during the homestand. #supportthestrike.”

The Local 26 union, representing cashiers, cooks, barbacks, souvenir vendors, utility workers and more at MGM Music Hall and Fenway Park, voted by 95% to authorize a strike in June.

This strike marks the first-ever in the park’s 113-year history.

A spokesperson for Aramark said in a statement, “We have bargained in good faith and are disappointed the union rejected our latest offer and chose to call a strike. We are committed to delivering an outstanding fan experience and have contingency plans in place to ensure fans will not encounter service interruptions.”

This weekend as the temps and humidity skyrocket, the Sox are facing superstar Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers — in what is the most expensive series of the season.

Union organizers said the strike would last through the series, and the union would discuss then whether to continue.

Local 26 workers said they have been in negotiations with Aramark and Fenway Park for six months. The union said they’re seeking significant pay raises and job security amid the rise of automation and more.

The Red Sox in a statement earlier this week said they “are not a party to these discussions” but are “hopeful that a fair resolution can be agreed upon quickly.”

“We remain in regular communication with Aramark and have been assured they are prepared with contingency plans to ensure the Fenway Park experience remains seamless for our fans during the weekend series,” a Red Sox spokesperson said.

It was impossible to miss the strike with union workers banging plastic drums and using bullhorns to call for a deal as they marched in circles just outside Fenway as the the game was about to begin.