San Diego convention center workers authorize strike just ahead of Comic-Con

Unionized workers at the San Diego Convention Center raised the stakes for a possible strike after voting overwhelmingly Wednesday to walk off their jobs should their leadership fail to secure a new contract.

The threat of a strike comes less than two weeks before the start of San Diego’s biggest convention — Comic-Con. Both sides are scheduled to return to the bargaining table on Friday in hopes of hammering out a new agreement. The contract covering the 650 food and beverage workers represented by Unite Here Local 30 expired June 30, and talks were last held two weeks ago, said Jorge Arellano, secretary-treasurer of the Unite Here local.

Affected workers include cooks, dishwashers, bartenders, servers and baristas, as well as those who staff the many food and drink concessions during a convention such as Comic-Con. They are employed by Sodexo Live, a food and beverage services company that the San Diego Convention Center Corp. contracts with for the many events and conferences held at the bayfront facility. Services provided by Sodexo can also include catered meals and receptions, coffee breaks and bar service.

More than 99 percent of the Unite Here-represented employees cast votes Wednesday in favor of authorizing a strike, the union reported.

“Wednesday’s strike authorization vote … is crucial for our union members and the San Diego hospitality industry,” Arellano said. “Our members have shown they are ready to stand up for their rights and will not settle for less than they deserve. We demand improved working conditions, better benefits, and higher standards.”

Sodexo, in a statement emailed late Thursday, said the company remains committed to reaching a new agreement with its employees.

“Taking a strike vote is an expected part of the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) negotiation process for Unite Here,” Sodexo said. “We continue to engage in good faith during ongoing negotiations with local Unite Here 30, in a sincere attempt to reach a fair and competitive set of long-term agreements in a timely manner.

“Bargaining sessions are scheduled in the days ahead, and we look forward to continuing to offer attractive wages and conditions, while ensuring labor competitivity for our clients and consumers.”

According to Arellano, Sodexo’s non-tipped workers at the convention center currently earn between $19 and $22 an hour. The union is seeking a pay increase that would bring hourly wages to $30 or more by the end of a new collective bargaining agreement, which could span three to four years, Arellano said. Sodexo so far has offered only a small percentage increase, he said.

Talks with Sodexo began in April, months ahead of the contract expiration date, he added.

Just this week, the board of the San Diego Convention Center Corp. was asked to extend Sodexo’s current food and beverage services contract for 10 years once it expires in June 2028. The board agreed to the extension on the condition that there is a successful resolution of the current labor dispute.

The last time a strike threatened to interrupt Comic-Con was in July 2022 when Hilton San Diego Bayfront hotel workers, also represented by Unite Here, walked off the job at the start of the convention. But that job action ended almost as quickly as it started. The union agreed to cease picketing after the Hilton presented the union with what it regarded as a fair proposal.

Arellano acknowledged that calling for a strike authorization vote so close to Comic-Con gives the union some leverage in its talks. But he added that it is not an ideal time for the members to be out of work.

“We’d like to avoid our folks being out of work when they have the best opportunity to make more money during Comic-Con,” he said, “but the company has to significantly make improvements to offers on the table or we’re more than poised to take action.”

Another of San Diego’s large conventions, ESRI, which draws thousands of GIS (geographic information systems) professionals, starts its annual meeting next week.