World Cup Hospitality Workers Vote to Strike Days Before Opening Kick

Two thousand workers at SoFi Stadium are ready to walk off the job right in the middle of soccer’s biggest moment in America. With the U.S. men’s team set to take on Paraguay on June 12 in the opening World Cup match, bartenders, servers, cooks, and dishwashers have voted to authorize a strike—a move that could leave FIFA’s premium suites serving nothing but bottled water and Doritos.

The issue isn’t about the game itself. Union member Yolanda Fierro and her colleagues are fighting for something more fundamental: livable wages and workplace security. Contract talks with Legends Global, which handles hospitality at the Inglewood stadium, have stalled, with the company offering only minimal wage increases for cooks and dishwashers while freezing pay for some suite attendants and bartenders. But there’s another layer making this strike authorization hit differently in 2026: workers are terrified about immigration enforcement.“What good is the World Cup for Los Angeles when workers don’t earn enough to pay the rent and must choose between showing up and being kidnapped by ICE?”asked Kurt Petersen, co-president of UNITE HERE Local 11. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna has stated that federal authorities will be present for security purposes, not civil immigration enforcement, but that assurance hasn’t quieted workers’fears amid ramped-up enforcement under President Donald Trump’s administration.

This isn’t just a Los Angeles problem. Community groups in other World Cup host cities like Atlanta and Miami are making similar calls, worried that immigration raids near stadiums and watch parties could dampen what should be a celebratory moment. Bartender Cesar Zamora summed it up perfectly: the World Cup will generate enormous profits, but workers are still fighting for basic respect and security.

A strike at SoFi during the U.S. team’s opening match would be devastating timing for everyone involved. Legends Global says it’s committed to reaching an agreement, but Petersen’s characterization of talks moving at a“glacial”pace suggests the company isn’t moving fast enough. With the World Cup kicking off in just days and millions of fans expected across 11 U.S. host cities plus Canada and Mexico, this is the moment when hospitality workers have real leverage—and they know it.