At the beginning of last season, The Baltimore Battery published an article about a new company taking over the head of concessions, as Delaware North’s contract expired.
In the article, it announces how Levy Restaurants became the new firm to run concessions at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Along with this contract, it was announced that Fanatics would operate the merchandise store, splitting the union workers between the two companies.
Fanatics is an American manufacturer and online retailer of licensed sportswear as well as the selling of sports collectibles, NFTs, trading cards and sports merchandise, while also involved with sports betting and iGaming.
While Levy Restaurants was quick to pick up the union contracts of the concession workers, Fanatics has failed to agree to any terms with the current union members for the Orioles Team Store, a store open year round.
One of the biggest concerns of the employees is the lack of benefits and the cutting of hours. Along with the number of hours and benefits, the workers are also demanding an increase in wages.
Under the previous management, 16 employees would work 32 hours a week. With the management of Fanatics, those hours have been cut to 18 or fewer. On top of that, the employees are making $15.50 an hour, which is less than half the pay of other vendors on the Eastern seaboard.
Since Fanatics took over in February, when bargaining sessions began, they have canceled two meetings and told union workers their business model does not include full-time workers.
Unite Here labor organizers say that Fanatics would not accept terms that were included in the stadium workers contract that expired. This included health care that was secured under the Delaware North contract that expired after 10 years.
“Team store employees are the face of the Orioles that fans see year round, unlike the stadium’s mostly seasonal staffers,” said Nnmeke Onejeme, who’s also on Unite Here’s executive board. “Under the previous contract, many merchandise workers had health insurance, family leave and vacation time. Fanatics is not agreeing to any of that.”
On Friday, November 24, around 70 employees and supporters of the Orioles Team Merchandise Store picketed outside the establishment, holding signs and chanting demands to restore hours, health care and improved wages. The protest was scheduled for noon, so employees working could join on their lunch breaks.
A security guard informed reporters that they could not go in the store, and according to a labor organizer, employees were barred from going outside or speaking to reporters on their lunch breaks.
“These workers — mostly women who have worked in the store for years — their hours have been cut. They’ve lost health care,” according to Tracy Lingo, one of the labor organizers.
Fanatics has not released any statements pertaining to this matter, and the Orioles have not commented at this time.
Sadly, this is coming at the same time as the countdown to the memorandum to reach a lease agreement between the Orioles and the State of Maryland. As the winter days move forward, a chilly air is surrounding Oriole Park at Camden Yards, in more than one way.
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