Aramark workers plan to protest at Phoenix Convention Center during Final Four fan events

PHOENIX — Food service workers for Aramark are planning to protest amid their ongoing labor dispute, escalating their demand for a fair contract, outside the Phoenix Convention Center on Friday.

The workers will be distributing leaflets to attendees, advising them to call the city about the ongoing dispute.

The protesters will include dishwashers, cooks, bartenders, servers and other food service workers, who are all represented by UNITE HERE Local 11.

The protest will go from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., which will intersect directly with the fan events going on for the women’s NCAA Final Four.

Thursday’s events include Tourney Town from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Four It All Fest, which is located outside of Tourney Town inside the convention center, running from 9 a.m. until the second women’s semifinal game is over (tipping off at 6:30 p.m.)

The NCAA Final Four is a major revenue-generating sports event in the country. When Phoenix last hosted the men’s event in 2024, it generated $429 million in economic impact.

The workers at the convention center serve tens of thousands of visitors every year, according to a press release from UNITE HERE Local 11 on Thursday. The Phoenix Convention Center is owned by the city, which contracts the food and catering services to Aramark.

The workers’ collective bargaining agreement with Aramark expired on December 1, 2025.

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