Beer and food workers on strike at Fenway Park

BOSTON — Striking Fenway Park vendors banged on drums and shouted "Don't buy food!" while walking a picket line outside the home of the Boston Red Sox before Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hundreds of Aramark workers marched along the street behind the team's right field concourse before the series opener, carrying round picket signs decorated with red baseball stitching. A giant inflatable rat shared the sidewalk with a statue of Red Sox greats Ted Williams, Bobby Doerr, Dom DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky. Another group of picketers circled behind home plate after the first pitch as Local 26 of the Massachusetts and Rhode Island hotel, casino, airport and food services workers union went on strike at noon on Friday. It posted on social media that it is asking for "living wages, guardrails on technology and R-E-S-P-E-C-T!" It's believed to be the first union walkout in the ballpark's 113-year-history. "Respect the picket line," the union posted. "We know tix are expensive, we're not asking you to stay away from the home games. But we ARE asking you to not buy concessions. No purchase of pretzels, pickles or peanuts inside the ballpark during the homestand." An Aramark spokesman said the company has bargained in good faith and is "disappointed the union rejected our latest offer and chose to call a strike." "We are committed to delivering an outstanding fan experience and have contingency plans in place to ensure fans will not encounter service interruptions," the company said. The Red Sox noted that the team was not involved in the negotiations but remained in contact with the concessionaire. Aramark made an offer as recently as Thursday night that was rejected by the union, the team said. "Aramark has implemented its contingency staffing plans, and fans can expect a full and uninterrupted ballpark experience this weekend, including access to all food, beverage, and hospitality services throughout Fenway Park," the team said. "We remain hopeful that the parties will reach a swift and fair resolution." A Red Sox spokeswoman said after Friday night's game, a full house of 36,369, that "ballpark concessions performed at the expected levels consistent with tonight's sold out crowd." U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders called on the team to support the vendors. "Fenway Park is an iconic American institution, and it's the workers there that make every Red Sox game special," he posted on social media. "The team is extremely profitable. They should treat their employees with respect, pay them decent wages and negotiate a fair contract with the union." Maggie McCue, a beer vendor with 19 years of experience who is 24 weeks pregnant with twins, took a break from marching in the near-90 degree temperatures to eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Her mother, also a beer vendor for almost two decades, said the team can afford for the workers to be paid a living wage. "They have more money than they need," Marianne McCue said. "We are Fenway. Fenway is us. Some people have been here 40-something years and they're not even backing us up. Shame on them. I never thought that at 70 years old I would be on strike, but here we are." The Red Sox play three games against the Dodgers before leaving town again for a series beginning Monday night in Minneapolis against the Twins. It was a chance for Boston fans to welcome back ex-Red Sox star Mookie Betts, who was traded to Los Angeles in a cost-cutting move a year after winning the AL MVP. Now, with Betts returning to town, the vendors are looking to get paid. "It's come full circle," Maggie McCue said. "Full circle."