Royals Workers Speak Out Against Unsafe Working Conditions at Kauffman Stadium

KANSAS CITY, MO - Event Service workers at Kauffman Stadium – home to the  Kansas City Royals – are reporting unsafe working conditions, including a lack of clean drinking water and employer policies that prevent workers from staying hydrated.

The Kansas City Royals employ more than 250 SEIU Local 1 Event Services workers, who are tasked with providing a high-quality fan experience. These working people – including Ushers, Tollbooth Attendants, Ticket Takers, Parking Lot Attendants, Restroom Attendants, and Ticket Sellers – each serve at 60 or more baseball games per year throughout the spring and summer, with most work being done outdoors.

"For the last 40 years, Local 1 workers have brought their own insulated cups with clean water from home. But then two years ago, the Royals said that was no longer allowed," said Christian Rak, Missouri Director of SEIU Local 1. "Now they're issued small plastic Royals-branded squeeze bottles, which leaves them with warm water that runs out halfway through the game. And these are workers who are either stuck in a hot box or constantly moving for hours on end to serve the fans – they need to stay hydrated to stay safe. But the Royals are no longer allowing them to do that, and we don't understand why."

This policy change led to worker concerns about the quality of water provided by the Royals, and the cleanliness of conditions in which that water was provided, with one Tollbooth Attendant reporting that they hide their own personal five-gallon water cooler of ice water in their vehicle to share with their coworkers during their shift.

“We are concerned about the source of the water – coming out of a general hose – that is exposed to everything and everyone. So I don’t drink the water,” said a Tollbooth Attendant at Kauffman Stadium. “Without any question, without any bargaining, I would expect an employer to offer us clean drinking water.”

“I have seen many fans dip their cups into the water jugs that we’re supposed to use. Can you imagine how unsanitary that is for everyone?” said Kevin James Barron, an Usher at Kauffman Stadium. “It is unacceptable for an employer to disregard our health and safety like this.”

“I’ve worked at Kauffman for 30 years and I haven’t drank their water unless I absolutely have to,” said Sheri Lasswell, a Ticket Taker at Kauffman Stadium. “I have seen them dump the water jugs and put the lids right back on – they don't wash them or dry them. All we’re asking is for the Royals to provide us insulated cups or let us bring our own, and they just refuse.”

"We get our water out of the kitchen in the Ticket Office,” said Greg Staples, a Ticket Seller at Kauffman Stadium. “We even have a refrigerator with ice in it. So it's upsetting to see that my coworkers with outside jobs don't even have clean water. Everybody deserves to have clean water."

SEIU Local 1 has made several proposals in negotiations to remedy workers' concerns, including allowing the workers to bring their own beverage containers, but the Kansas City Royals have so far refused to accept any of those proposals. The most recent union proposal simply stated that the Kansas City Royals would agree to provide potable water, with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) minimum definitions, but the Kansas City Royals rejected this proposal.

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Service Employees International Union Local 1 unites 50,000 workers throughout the Midwest, including janitors, security officers, airport workers, higher education faculty, food service workers and others. Local 1 is committed to improving the lives of its members and all working people by winning real economic justice and standing at the forefront of the fight for immigrant, racial and environmental justice.