UNITE HERE Local 11 Urges FIFA Leadership to Choose Stadiums with Worker Protections for 2026 World Cup

Workers rally for good jobs at Rose Bowl on eve of FIFA Venue Visits

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UNITE HERE Local 11 and allies rallied outside the Rose Bowl in Pasadena on Saturday afternoon to call attention to City officials and FIFA leaders who are in the process of site visits to select equitable and fair venues to host the World Cup in 2026. This is now the third time workers have protested in front of the Rose Bowl in as many weeks.

Rose Bowl workers want to make sure basic protections are in place for any stadium to be considered as a World Cup venue.

Yesterday morning, workers sent a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino asking for a meeting with FIFA representatives during their visit to the area this upcoming week.

“It has come to our attention that FIFA representatives will visit our region in the next week or so to review the potential placement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in Los Angeles.

We respectfully ask that you meet with us during your visit to discuss our mutual commitment to promoting human rights, which of course include labor rights….We know that dialogue with community stakeholders is an important priority.”

This is the second time FIFA has received a letter expressing concern about hosting the World Cup at the Rose Bowl. In October, UNITE HERE Local 11 Leadership sent a letter to FIFA President Gianni Infantino asking they honor FIFA’s commitment to human rights, including labor standards, and that FIFA should not consider the Rose Bowl as a possible World Cup venue until these protections are in place.

Saturday’s event comes days before UNITE HERE Local 11, community allies and workers plan on returning to picket in even larger numbers on Wednesday, November 17th at 10 AM.

Event center jobs are among the lowest paid in the tourism industry, and The Rose Bowl is one of the only event centers in the Los Angeles area where workers do not have livable wages, affordable healthcare, job security, and other rights guaranteed by a union contract. There are multiple venues across Los Angeles that provide good jobs with benefits including Dignity Health Stadium, Dodgers Stadium, the Los Angeles Coliseum, Bank of California Stadium, and Angel’s Stadium.

Other events coming to SoCal include the Olympic games in 2028 where UNITE HERE Local 11 has also called attention to the need for good family sustaining jobs and local hiring.

UNITE HERE Local 11 is a labor union representing over 32,000 hospitality workers in Southern California and Arizona who work in hotels, restaurants, universities, stadiums, sport arenas, convention centers, and airports.