Boston City Council backs Fenway Park workers, passes heat protection ordinance

BOSTON — August 27, 2025 — Boston City Council votes to condemn Aramark's labor practices at Fenway Park and passes a new worker heat protection ordinance. The council approved a resolution Wednesday declaring full support for Unite Here Local 26, which represents more than 1,000 food and beverage workers who have been without a contract for nine months; the resolution commits councilors to honoring any future strike by refraining from purchasing food or beverages at the park. Councilor Sharon Durkan, who introduced the resolution, called the dispute "so, so important to our city." Local 26 president Carlos Sotomayor told the council workers hold "some of the lowest paid jobs in our industry in Boston" at a venue that "pulls in a lot of money every time there's a game." The council also passed Docket 0135, a heat illness prevention ordinance developed by Councilor Benjamin J. Weber that gives the city's Office of Labor Compliance discretion to tailor shade, water, and rest requirements to specific work sites, with collective bargaining agreements taking precedence where they address heat safety.