Fenway Park’s food vendor and concession staff ratified a new five-year labor contract over the weekend, according to the union representing over a thousand of the workers.
The agreement, which also includes several dozen MGM Music Hall employees, brings to an end year-long labor negotiations between Aramark, the food service provider for both venues, and its concession workers, according to Unite Here Local 26.
Speaking Monday at the union’s Boston office, Unite Here Local 26 President Carlos Aramayo called the contract an “extraordinary settlement” that fulfills “all of the goals” the union sought to achieve since the last contract expired in December 2024.
The agreement raises the wages of non-tipped workers by $10 through 2029. Workers in tip-based roles will get a $5 wage increase over the same time frame. Gratuity for catering at the park increases from 15% to 17%, and vendors received a 1% increase to their commissions.
Aramayo said the new agreement “closes the gap” between wages earned by Fenway workers and other Major League ballpark employees.
“You’re going to see folks at Fenway starting to earn on par with Yankee Stadium, with [the] Marlin[‘s] Stadium, with places like that,” he said.
The agreement comes after months of grueling mediation sessions and what is believed to be the first union strike in Fenway’s history in July.
“It came out well in the end, we got a fair contract,” said Austin Petruzziello, a Fenway vendor who has worked at the ballpark for 10 seasons. “It’s not just about the higher wages, it’s about the respect as well. We now have staffing mandates and stable schedules so no one’s getting overworked like they were before.”
A statement provided to WBUR from the Philadelphia-based Aramark on Monday said the company values its employees and is “pleased to have reached an agreement in this process that works for both parties.”
“We remain focused on delivering an outstanding experience for the fans, customers and clients at Fenway and MGM Music Hall now and into the future,” the statement read.
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