Nearly 500 union members who work at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City have filed charges against the Royals with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that the team has refused to bargain a new contract in good faith.
As reported by public radio station KCUR in Kansas City, this is the first time that stadium workers have negotiated a contract since John Sherman bought the Royals in 2019.
The union, the Service Employees International Union Local 1, announced the charges on Friday. Representatives say that during their more than sixth-month contract negotiation process, the Royals have withheld information, surveilled, interrogated and threatened workers, according to KCUR's Savannah Hawley-Bates.
SEIU Local 1 represents ushers, toll booth attendants, ticket takers, parking lot and restroom attendants, and ticket sellers who work 81 games per year as well as special events.
"It's Local 1 members who provide that fan experience," lead organizer Rose Welch said. "They work really hard and they deserve to have their voices heard. They deserve to feel safe at work, they deserve to be respected, and they deserve fair pay that reflects this."
In the past, SEIU representatives say that contract negotiations only took a matter of days, but the process has been dragged out this time by the new management team.
“In previous years, we set a date and then negotiated fairly,” said one member of the bargaining committee in a statement. “This year, the Royals have dragged their feet. They have delayed meetings. They have canceled meetings. They have not bargained in good faith, as far as I'm concerned. They have not taken us seriously.”
Sharita Hutton, director of communications for the Royals, responded in a statement that the team is committed to negotiating with the union.
“It would be inappropriate to engage in a public debate with our partners at the SEIU, especially since we are currently working together to reach agreements on behalf of our events staff and grounds & tarp personnel," Hutton said. "We are also pleased to report that several months ago we reached an agreement with our ballpark services employees, and we thank SEIU leadership for working alongside us to streamline often outdated language and get this done."
The union has demanded raises for the lowest-paid workers at the stadium — such as restroom attendants and ushers who are paid less than $15 an hour. Welch says that the Royals have so far refused to offer a living wage, with Welch arguing that with inflation outpacing compensation, the Royals' offer amounts to "essentially a pay cut."
"When we asked for fair wages for ushers, a vice president at the Kansas City Royals looked us in the face and said, ‘Ushers get paid to watch the game.,” Welch said during an event last week.
Kauffman Stadium workers also allege:
- A stadium policy has prevented workers from bringing their own water bottles to the stadium — which often meant that employees, especially those stationed outside, didn’t have access to adequate water during a shift.
- The Royals’ bargaining committee has repeatedly walked back on tentative contract agreements, which is illegal under the National Labor Relations Act.
- Royals management has threatened their jobs and screamed at them in front of fans.
- Supervisors gave representatives and workers differing union work group meeting times and locations.
Workers first went public with the drinking water complaint in April.
Related: Union Calls Working Conditions at Kauffman Stadium 'Unsafe'
The final bargaining session is Tuesday.
