Oakland A's Coliseum employees left without benefits as team leaves

OAKLAND, California. – As the A's end an era of Oakland sports at the Coliseum, the concession workers who make the games possible announced they will receive no support or benefits after the final home game on Thursday.

Concession workers represented by Unite Here Local 2 said they were disappointed by the team's departure, but they were even more disappointed with Aramark.

Aramark is a subcontractor of A and the supplier that employs the concession workers.

Union officials said they had been negotiating with Aramark for months because the fate of the workers was uncertain, and only learned on Monday that their health insurance benefits would be cut off immediately after the last home game and that they would not receive severance pay.

According to the union, health insurance is a benefit for which employees are already contractually qualified and entitled.

Many of the workers are Oakland natives, and the Coliseum provides hundreds of jobs in East Oakland.

Unite Here Local 2 represents 400 people, all of whom work in the food service sector, with hundreds more working in ticket sales and security.

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Robert Preston, one of the beer stand managers, said he has dedicated 39 years of his life to the Coliseum and has watched attendance decline over the years, but he never expected to be left behind.

“For many people, this is their only job and they get all of their medical benefits from that job,” Preston said.

Kenyetta Gentry, who works as a concession stand manager, said she started working at the Coliseum when she was 19. It helped her afford her first apartment.

“My grandfather worked here, my aunt worked here, my husband works here,” Gentry said.

Gentry said she suffers from heart disease and, without health insurance, will have difficulty paying for her doctor's appointments and medications until she finds new work.

“It's going to be really difficult to figure out where I'm going to get my money from,” she said. “I might have to rely on my savings or my husband's.”

In a statement from Aramark, Aramark spokeswoman Debbie Albert wrote, in part: “We are negotiating in good faith with the union regarding the impact of the A's departure and are prepared to offer those affected vacant positions in other areas of our company.”

In the meantime, the workers don't know what they will do.

Gentry said she and her husband were aware of the situation and began looking for jobs as soon as she learned the A's were leaving. But Preston and many others expected more during the transition.

“I wish they would reconsider and at least come to the negotiating table and make some kind of offer,” Preston said.

The union said it had filed a complaint with Aramark for breach of contract. Union vice president Yulisa Elenes said she blamed the A's for some of the blame.

“The least Aramark could do is pay employees' health insurance premiums as promised and give them a fair severance package to help them stay afloat while they find new jobs,” she said. “These employees have made thousands of game days entertaining for countless fans, their union wages and benefits have supported employees' families and communities, and their work has helped make John Fisher even richer.”

In a written statement from an A's spokesman, the team said it had donated $1 million to the Oakland Coliseum Vendor Assistance Fund “to support third-party vendor employees at the Coliseum who are impacted by the A's move to Sacramento.”

They further wrote that the team is committed to providing meaningful support during the transition.

The workers said that despite the disappointment, they will do their best until the final pitch.

“I'm a hugging guy, so I'm just going to hug and smile,” Gentry said.

Preston added: “As always, I will be very personal, greet them with a smile and try to make their day.”

The workers hope to be given priority for rehiring for Oakland Roots games, but it is not currently known which vendor the football team will choose or how many workers it will need.