Employee union says Royals won’t provide them clean drinking water at Kauffman Stadium
The union representing tollbooth attendants, ticket takers and ushers for the Kansas City Royals says those workers can’t access clean drinking water at Kauffman Stadium.
SEIU Local 1, which represents 250 Kauffman employees, says the team for years allowed them to bring their own insulated cups from home. Two years ago, the team told workers that was no longer allowed.
“Now they’re issued small plastic Royals-branded squeeze bottles, which leaves them with warm water that runs out halfway through the game,” Christian Rak, Missouri director of SEIU Local 1, said in a news release. “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.”
Employees who mostly work outdoors question the cleanliness of the water they’re provided at Kauffman. Some say their drinking water comes from a general hose. Others say they have seen fans dips their cups into jugs for employee drinking water, the union said.
“I’ve worked at Kauffman for 30 years and I haven’t drank their water unless I absolutely have to,” Sheri Lasswell, a ticket taker at the K, said in a news release. “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.”
In a statement, the Royals said employees and fans have access to water at a variety of locations in and around the stadium.
The union made the issue public on Monday as it continues to negotiate its next contract with the Royals, who started their season last week with three straight home losses to the Minnesota Twins.
The union said it has made several proposals in contract negotiations about the drinking water. One would allow workers to bring their own beverage containers. Another would have required the team to provide potable water, using the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s requirements.
The union says the team has rejected both proposals.
The team says employees working in parking lots and at tollgates are permitted to use any type of water container they choose. They also have access to water containers to refill their containers during their shifts.
In their statement, the Royals said they denied a request for employees to bring metal water containers into the stadium “due to safety concerns.” Instead, the team supplied all employees with a 24-ounce water bottle they can bring into the venue. They are also allowed to bring in any size clear water container they choose.
There are nearly a dozen water fountains employees and fans can use throughout the stadium, the team said.
“The Kansas City Royals have always worked closely with SEIU Local 1 to make sure all employees and staff have a safe work environment,” the team said in a statement. “We are in ongoing union negotiations with SEIU Local 1.”
SEIU represents three bargaining units at Kauffman Stadium.
On March 16, the union announced its bargaining unit of ballpark services employees had reached an agreement with management on a three-year labor contract.
The agreement came with a starting pay of $16 per hour, increasing to $17 after 90 days and then scaling as high as $21.50 per hour for 2023. It ensured every covered worker will receive a 5% pay increase through 2026.
Union member William Williams described the agreement as “fair and dignified” in a March 16 news release.
“I am proud of the new contract my coworkers and I negotiated, which will help support us and our families,” he said. “...We came together, we fought for what we deserved, and we won. I am happy that we could come to this agreement before Opening Day and am excited to make sure that Royals fans and visiting fans will get the game day experience we expect them to have.”
