Los Angeles Angels: Stadium workers’ union asks for wages and benefits during break

Major League Baseball will not be played in Los Angeles, or anywhere, for the foreseeable future. Stadium workers are taking measures to protect against lost wages.

As professional sports leagues close their doors in response to the coronavirus, stadium workers are left wondering about their next paycheck and how they will cover healthcare costs. The Los Angeles Times reports that a local workers’ union, which represents 5,600 game-day workers at five local venues, has sent a letter to the owners of the Angels (as well as Lakers, Clippers, Sparks, Dodgers, Kings, Galaxy, and LAFC), asking them to maintain wages and healthcare benefits while stadiums are closed.

NBA owner Mark Cuban has already come forward in promising a plan to pay arena workers in Dallas while the NBA is shutdown. Hawks owner, Tony Ressler, followed suit. NBA power forward Kevin Love announced on social media that he will donate $100,000 to help Cleveland arena employees.

Stadium workers in Los Angeles typically work on an hourly basis and make $18-22 per hour, according to the LA Times report.

The Angels issued a statement on Thursday afternoon saying, “Nothing is more important to us than the health and safety of our fans, players, and employees. MLB and the Angels will continue to take the precautions and best practices recommended by public health experts.”

The MLB and player’s union are meeting on Friday to discuss the mechanics of working through this work stoppage. It is unclear whether owners will consider the wages and benefits of stadium employees as they meet with the player’s union to decide on next steps. The stadium workers’ union at least provides a voice for workers to communicate to the owners.

Please check back as more information becomes available. In the meantime, our thoughts are with those impacted by this virus. For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.