UNITE HERE Local 26 union workers at Fenway Park and MGM Music Hall are continuing to fight for a new contract with Aramark, the ballpark’s management company, following a three-day strike in late July.

Workers are pushing for wage increases and limits to automation, which stands to threaten certain jobs at the park, in their contract. 

“We respect the right of our employees to demonstrate and look forward to continuing to bargain in good faith to reach an agreement that works for everyone,” wrote an Aramark spokesperson in a statement to The Daily Free Press.

During the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox homestand from July 25 to 27, around 1,000 workers participated in a strike, said Carlos Aramayo, president of the Local 26 union.

“I was totally blown away by the level of participation,” he said. “There were folks who had very little engagement with the union, who showed up and picketed for eight hours straight. They picketed for longer than they would normally be at work.” 

Red Sox fan Mackenzie Corbett recalled a crowd of game attendees voicing their support for workers during the July strike. 

“They’re the lifeblood of the park,” she said. “I feel like they should be compensated fairly.” 

Aramayo said a pay raise for untipped workers making $18 to $20 an hour is a core demand of the union. 

“We’re talking cooks, dishwashers, people who work in the warehouse,” he said. “These folks, to be honest, make poverty wages.”

The union is also advocating against the automation of bartending jobs, which was introduced to the ballpark in the form of AI self-checkout machines, Aramayo said. Many workers worry heightened automation could threaten certain jobs, limit tips and enable underage consumption, he said. 

“It’s eroding the spirit of Fenway Park. People go to Fenway. They come from all over the world, and they … want to go back in time,” said Aramayo. “You’re not going to be on your phone, you’re not gonna be playing with tech, you’re gonna be there and that guy with a Boston accent is gonna sell you a Sam Adams.”

Ricky Moffatt, who has sold beer at Fenway for over two decades, said Aramark has been “avoiding the automation discussion.” 

“We know it’s going to change the park and a lot of us just feel like corporate Aramark is going to shove this down our throats, down the fans throat,” Moffatt said. “They’re really destroying the magic of the place right under everyone’s noses.”

While no longer actively on strike, the union and its members are still fighting for a contract. 

“I can be candid and say if we’re not able to get it done at the bargaining table, I believe people will be ready to take action on the streets again,” Aramayo said. “We’re trying to defend the soul of the experience that is Fenway.”