SoFi Stadium workers authorize strike ahead of World Cup opener

About 2,000 food and beverage workers at SoFi Stadium voted last week to authorize a strike, threatening to disrupt FIFA World Cup matches at the Inglewood venue as contract negotiations with hospitality operator Legends Global remain stalled.

The labor dispute, at a venue set to host the U.S. team's World Cup opener against Paraguay on Friday, underscores mounting tensions over wages, worker protections and immigration enforcement across Southern California — concerns that resonate with Orange County's immigrant communities.

The vote was organized by UNITE HERE Local 11, the union representing workers at the Inglewood stadium. Union officials were scheduled to provide a negotiation update Tuesday morning, according to the Associated Press.

Workers are pressing Legends Global — which manages food and beverage operations at SoFi Stadium — to raise wages to offset Southern California's escalating cost of living, enact protections against automation, and strengthen workplace safety standards. They are also demanding that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents be barred from the venue during World Cup events.

"People are concerned about everything from wages to help keep up with the rising costs of living, especially here in Southern California, protections from automation, safety protections, especially when it comes to ICE having a presence at the World Cup," said Maria Hernandez, a union organizer with UNITE HERE Local 11.

SoFi Stadium is hosting the U.S. men's national team's opening World Cup match against Paraguay on Friday, making a work stoppage potentially costly for all sides with days remaining before kickoff.

Legends Global, in a statement, said the company remains focused on the fan experience. "We look forward to delivering an outstanding hospitality experience for fans at the FIFA World Cup matches at SoFi Stadium," the company said.

The push to restrict ICE agents near World Cup venues is not isolated to Inglewood, the Associated Press reported. Community organizations in Atlanta and Miami have issued similar calls for a halt to immigration enforcement at World Cup host sites during the tournament.

UNITE HERE Local 11 represents hospitality workers across Southern California venues, and the resolution of this dispute could influence labor conditions at other World Cup host stadiums nationwide.