Dodger Stadium tour guides just landed a hefty pay bump to $24 an hour this week, even after voting to walk away from union representation. The quiet move essentially matches what a union contract would have paid and gives part-time guides a real boost, while still leaving a big open question: will the team fix long-standing security concerns before crowds return for games.
In an email to roughly 55 guides, the Dodgers said pay is jumping from $17.87 to $24 per hour and that the tour payroll is projected to hit about $650,000 in 2026, with about $170,000 of that tied to the higher rates. The raise comes on the heels of two close but failed attempts to ratify an agreement with IATSE and a January decertification vote that stripped the union of formal status, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.
Kayla Rodiger, the Dodgers' senior manager of tours, told guides in a letter, "I want you to know that we hear you, team, and we see you," adding that the front office is "actively discussing security issues" in and around the ballpark. Nicole Miller, president of IATSE Local B-192, credited the union's bargaining team with helping push the wage hike over the finish line and urged the club to deliver on its safety commitments, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Perks Versus Pay
One sticking point that split the group was a long-standing perk. The Dodgers have traditionally given guides four reserve-level comp tickets for each of the 13 homestands. If you peg each ticket at $50, that is roughly $2,600 in value for the season, and many veteran guides felt that losing that benefit would more than cancel out any hourly increase. That tug-of-war between a reliable, high-value perk and fatter paychecks helped sink ratification and left the staff sharply divided, as noted by Sports Business Journal.
Tour Growth and Security
All of this is unfolding as tour demand has surged. The operation now sits under the Dodgers 365 initiative and brings in more than $1 million a year, which has increased both revenue and anxiety about safety. Guides have raised alarms about visitors making it up to the top deck with backpacks and rolling suitcases, and the teams official tours page already spells out a clear-bag requirement and a list of restricted bags. You can see the current rules on the tours policy at Dodgers 365.
For guides, the raise is a concrete win even without a union contract in place. For organizers, the whole saga is a reminder that bargaining power can show up in more than one form. The real question now is whether the Dodgers keep those higher wages in play and follow through on the promised security upgrades as the season gets closer.
