A group of workers at Fenway Park in Boston have come to Liverpool as they campaign for better pay
The group delivered a letter to Liverpool FC's city centre office
The group delivered a letter to Liverpool FC's city centre office
(Image: Unite the Union North West)
A group of people who work at Fenway Park, the home of Major League Baseball side Boston Red Sox, have travelled to Liverpool to call for support in their employment dispute. The workers, who are part of the UNITE HERE Local 26 union in Massachusetts, are in dispute with Aramark, which handles food and beverages at the iconic ballpark.
Like Liverpool FC, Boston Red Sox are owned by Fenway Sports Group (FSG). The workers' dispute is not with FSG and neither the company nor the Red Sox are involved in the negotiations, but they have travelled to Liverpool to call on company founder and LFC's principal owner John Henry, who they said has "helped in the past", to get behind them in their campaign.
Supported by Unite the Union North West, the workers who travelled to Liverpool told the ECHO they are in negotiations with Aramark about pay, saying that their wages do not keep up with the cost of living in Boston. They also claimed their roles are at risk of being replaced by automation.
Aramark told the ECHO it is committed to bargaining in good faith to reach a settlement. The ECHO understands that the number of Local 26 employees working at the ballpark has increased in the past seven years and a number of roles still require human supervision.
The delegation of five workers delivered a letter addressed to Mr Henry at Liverpool FC's city centre office on Thursday (August 14). Now, they plan to hand out leaflets around Anfield before Liverpool's first match of their Premier League campaign tonight - the reigning champions face Bournemouth in the season's curtain raiser at 8pm.
Charbel Salameh with the letter to John Henry
Charbel Salameh with the letter to John Henry
About the dispute, Charbel Salameh, 43, told the ECHO: "I've worked at Fenway Park for 28 years. I sell beer, I'm one of the vendors. We are in contract negotiations with our company Aramark, who is subcontracted by the Red Sox, who are owned by FSG.
"Our dispute isn't technically with FSG, it's with Aramark. Negotiations are stalling, it's going back and forth, we're looking at significant increases in our wages for a lot of behind-the-scenes people, who are not able to earn gratuities.
"Depending on what you do in the park, your pay is done in a lot of different ways. Some of us earn a set rate plus gratuities. A lot of the back-of-the-house do not earn gratuities.
"They're paid hourly. The wage for one of the cooks is around $18 an hour. A lot of other accounts is upward of $24 an hour. We're looking to increase their (the cooks) wages significantly."
The workers believe that having a presence in the city of Liverpool and at Anfield before Liverpool's opening game will draw attention to their cause. One worker said his team is fighting for better terms in a contract, a process which has been ongoing since the start of the year.
Austin Petruzziello, 29, told the ECHO: "I'm a vendor at Fenway Park, up and down the aisles, selling peanuts. I've been there nine years and in the nine years my department hasn't got a raise at all. That's why I'm here fighting.
"Our contract expired at the end of December and we've been working without a contract for more than eight months now, so we just want to get this thing done, get it over with.
"We think that getting John Henry's attention could get him to step in. The way to do that would be Liverpool's opening day."
Charbel added: "We're hoping that being at Anfield will lead to John Henry coming out to settle this stalled contract negotiations we're in.
"He has helped in the past, we're employees, we respect what he does, we love working at the ball park, we're hoping he will come out and help push Aramark in the right direction to do what's right."
Like his fellow workers, Austin is a lifelong Red Sox fan. He takes immense pride in his work but he believes his pay packet is not high enough, affecting his passion for the job.
He explained: "The wages aren't keeping up with the cost of living. It's taking a mental toll too. The contract expired, it's like there's no respect there, we're just not feeling it.
"We need something, we want this contract settled - we want no automation, we want higher wages.
"I have pride in my work. Every time I walk into that stadium, I love it. I'm a big Red Sox fan, but there are lingering thoughts in the back of your head, why is it like this, why can't they just be there for their workers.
"We had a three day strike at the park this year. All the fans were in support of us. It was big.
"We're hoping for the same from Liverpool FC fans. Being a big union city, I think they'll get behind the cause. I'm glad to be here, everyone has been so nice so far."
An Aramark spokesperson told the ECHO: "Aramark remains committed to bargaining in good faith to reach a settlement that works for all parties."