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Target Field concession workers strike in June
Hundreds of concession workers walked off the job as part of a strike in June at Target Field for better wages.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Ahead of a Noah Kahan concert that has been sold out for months and widely considered one of the hottest tickets of the summer, Target Field concession workers are engaging in a one-day walk-out strike as part of ongoing negotiations for a new contract from parent company Delaware North.
Target Field workers strike
What we know:
Since Jan. 1, 2026, Delaware North workers at Target Field have been negotiating for a new collective contract as members represented by UNITE HERE Local 17, Minnesota’s hospitality workers’ union.
In June, more than 500 workers held a similar walk-out ahead of the Minnesota Twins hosting a three-game series against the L.A. Dodgers — the busiest series of the season to date.
Dig deeper:
Without a new contract in place, members represented by UNITE HERE Local 17 say they plan to do the same on Wednesday, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Meanwhile, Delaware North, the company that manages concession stands at Target Field, said the venue will be fully staffed with replacement workers for Noah Kahan's show.
What they're saying:
A recent UNITE HERE press release alleges that "Delaware North managers [have] interrogated and surveilled workers engaged in their legally protected strike activity" as negotiations have progressed. The union has also alleged that the company has "failed to bargain in good faith with the union by subcontracting Union work to reportedly misclassified workers from apparently sham charities."
The latter assertion comes in the wake of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announcing that MN Fundraising Initiative, or MNFI, would disband after an investigation found that it had misclassified hundreds of workers as "volunteers" while paying them "grants" for staffing concession stands at places like Target Field, US Bank Stadium, Allianz Field and other major venues across the Twin Cities.
The settlement alleges that vendors like Minnesota Sportservice, Levy Premium Foodservice and Aramark Sports and Entertainment Services used the scheme to get low-cost labor, avoid payroll obligations and claim tax deductions for "charitable" donations to MNFI.
However, it does not name Delaware North as one of the companies involved.
The other side:
On July 30, Delaware North released a statement saying that it had offered to increase wages for UNITE Here 17 union members to $20 per hour for non-tipped, part-time employees serving fans and customers at Target Field, while also offering a health care plan similar to other venues.
The offer had been rejected by union representatives, the announcement said, while requesting that UNITE Here 17 leadership "allow its members to vote on the proposal as soon as possible and without adding additional barriers to a resolution."
When reached by FOX 9, representatives with UNITE Here 17 stated, "Delaware North’s wage proposal does not move everyone the union considers non-tipped workers to $20 an hour — it leaves dozens of non-tipped workers out, like food runners."
It also claimed that, "Delaware North’s healthcare proposal was to cover 10 people in a stadium of 500 workers" while calling the proposal "unacceptable."
What's next:
Negotiations remain ongoing, and until a new deal is reached, further worker protests could be planned.