SoFi Stadium union escalates World Cup strike threat over ICE access
SoFi Stadium’s concessions workforce has moved towards a strike vote while pressing FIFA to keep US immigration enforcement away from World Cup operations, raising delivery risk for the tournament’s opening match in Los Angeles.
More than 2,000 SoFi Stadium concessions workers have halted contract talks with venue operator Legends Global and authorised a strike vote a week before the venue hosts the United States’ opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.Unite Here Local 11, which represents cooks, servers and bartenders at the Inglewood stadium, is demanding guarantees that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement will not be allowed on venue grounds during the tournament.Kurt Petersen, co-president of Unite Here Local 11, said: “We felt the company were not taking the concerns and demands seriously enough.”The union’s position links immigration enforcement concerns to operational and labour issues, including restrictions on subcontracting, limits on automation and artificial intelligence that could reduce union jobs, and greater transparency on work hours and the distribution of tips and service charges.The strike vote is scheduled for the end of next week, with the June 12 match at SoFi Stadium set to open the tournament for the US team against Paraguay.Los Angeles is due to stage eight World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium, and the venue is also a key site in plans for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, increasing the stakes for service delivery and workforce stability.Legends Global said it remains committed to reaching a fair agreement and expects to continue negotiations in good faith, while aiming to deliver the hospitality programme required for FIFA’s event standards.The labour agreement between Legends Global and Unite Here Local 11 has expired, with bargaining sessions failing to produce a new deal.The union has also called on FIFA and SoFi Stadium owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment to make a public commitment that ICE and US Border Patrol will play no role in the tournament, alongside broader protections on working conditions.Acting Department of Homeland Security Director Todd Lyons has said ICE would play a “key part” in the World Cup, a prospect the union says could create safety risks for workers and guests.Petersen said the accreditation process could make a walkout particularly disruptive, because replacement workers may not be able to clear background checks and approvals at short notice.FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the union’s demands, and the Los Angeles World Cup organising committee declined to comment on the potential impact of industrial action.The next immediate milestone is the two-day strike vote next week, with the outcome set to shape final operational planning for June 12 and the remaining matches scheduled at the venue.