Oakland A's Coliseum workers left without benefits as team leaves
OAKLAND, Calif. - As the A’s end an era in Oakland sports at the Coliseum, concession workers who help make the games happen announced they have been left without support or benefits after Thursday’s final home game.
Concession workers represented by Unite Here Local 2 said they are disappointed by the team’s departure, but more disappointed with Aramark.
Aramark is an A’s subcontractor and the vendor that employs the concession workers.
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Union representatives said they were in negotiations with Aramark for months, as the fate of the workers was in the air. It wasn’t until Monday that they learned their health care benefits would be cut off right after the final home game and they would not be receiving severance.
According to the union, health care coverage is a benefit the workers have already qualified for and are entitled to based on the contract.
Many workers are Oakland natives, and the Coliseum provides hundreds of jobs in East Oakland.
Unite Here Local 2 represents 400 people, only the food service workers. There are hundreds more who work in ticketing and security.
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Robert Preston, one of the beer stand managers, said he gave 39 years of his life to the Coliseum and he has watched attendance dwindle over the years, but he never expected to be left high and dry.
"For a lot of people, this is their only job, and so they get all their medical benefits from this job," said Preston.
Kenyetta Gentry, who works as a manager at the concession stands, said she started working at the Coliseum when she was only 19 years old. It helped her afford her first apartment.
"My grandfather worked here, my auntie worked here, my husband works here," said Gentry.
Gentry said she has a heart condition, and without health insurance, she will struggle to pay for her appointments and medications until she finds a new job.
"It’s going to be really tough where I’m going to get my funds from," she said. "I might have to pull from my savings or my husband’s savings."
Aramark spokesperson Debbie Albert wrote in a statement, in part, "We are bargaining in good faith with the union regarding the effects of the a's departure and are prepared to offer those impacted available roles in other areas of our organization."
In the meantime, the workers don’t know what they’ll do.
Gentry said she and her husband got ahead of it and began applying for jobs as soon as she learned the A’s were leaving, but Preston and many others were expecting more during the transition.
"I wish they would reconsider and at least come to the table and make some type of offer," said Preston.
The union said it is filing a legal grievance with Aramark for breaking the union contract, and union Vice President Yulisa Elenes said she places some blame on the A’s.
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"The least Aramark could do is pay out workers’ health insurance, as promised, and pay a fair severance to keep workers afloat as they find new jobs," she said. "These workers have made thousands of game days enjoyable for countless fans, their union wages and benefits have supported the workers’ families and communities, and their work has helped make John Fisher even richer."
In a written statement from an A’s spokesperson, the team said it donated $1 million to the Oakland Coliseum Vendor Assistance Fund "to support workers employed by third-party vendors at the coliseum who are impacted by the a’s relocation to Sacramento."
They went on to write that the team is committed to providing meaningful support during the transition.
The workers said despite the let-down, they’re going to give it their best until the final pitch.
"I’m a hugger, so I’m just going to hug and put my smile on," said Gentry.
Added Preston, "I’m going to be my usual self with a smile and greet them and try to make their day good.
The workers are hoping to get first priority to be hired back on for the Oakland Roots games, but at this time, there is no word on which vendor the soccer team will choose, or how many workers they’ll need.