Dodgers concession workers vote to strike out the MLB All-Star Game

It might take only one strike to throw out the MLB All-Star Game this year.

With MLB’s All-Star Weekend set to begin in Los Angeles on Friday, the host Dodgers’ concession workers have voted to go on strike for a new contract.

According to UNITE HERE Local 11, the union representing them, 99% of the workers who man the food and beverage stands at Dodger Stadium voted to strike.

Bartender Laura Ortiz told her union that “I voted yes to strike because I often have to pick up shifts at the Rose Bowl just to try to make ends meet.”

Bartender Sylvia Sosa concurred, saying “I proudly served Dodger dogs and beers for many years and want our company, Compass/Levy, to recognize our worth.”

Compass Group subsidiary Levy Restaurants employs nearly 1,500 service workers at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers concession strikers and UNITE HERE Local 11 are not alone on its side of the table.

The MLB Players Association tweeted a statement saying the union “stands in solidarity with Dodger Stadium concessions workers.”

“Local 11’s members are a vital yet under appreciated part of what makes our game great. They deserve to be treated fairly and will continue to have the 1,200 members of the MLBPA behind them,” the union wrote.

Sen. Bernard Sanders, a noted fan of the Brooklyn Dodgers, also tweeted his support.

“If the owners of the Dodgers (worth $8.8 billion) can afford to pay $166 million for one player, they can certainly afford to pay their concession workers a decent wage with decent benefits,” the Vermont socialist wrote on Twitter.

A strike could seriously snarl the Dodgers’ plans to successfully host the upcoming MLB All-Star Game.

While the game itself is not until Tuesday, the MLB has planned days full of associated activities, including the MLB draft starting Sunday and the Home Run Derby on Monday.

The All-Star break for MLB teams’ games runs from Monday through Wednesday.