U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly stepped off the sidewalk and into a picket line on April 9, joining Arizona State University food-service workers who are pressing Aramark for higher pay and safer conditions in campus kitchens. The demonstration on ASU's Downtown Phoenix campus drew students, union organizers and neighborhood supporters as negotiations with the national food-service contractor remain stalled after the company’s contract with workers expired last year.
Many of the workers on the line earn about $19 an hour, a rate Kelly told the crowd "isn't a living wage for everyone." Union organizers and attorneys say inflation and surging housing costs have turned the old deal into a nonstarter for long-time staff and newer hires alike. Those details were reported by KJZZ.
What organizers want
The employees are organized by UNITE HERE Local 11 and have rolled out strikes, walkouts and pickets on ASU's Tempe and Downtown Phoenix campuses since contract talks kicked off in October 2025. Organizers say the fight centers on higher wages, affordable health coverage and staffing levels that, they argue, regularly leave a skeleton crew juggling multiple jobs on a single shift. As documented by The State Press, Kelly showed up at the downtown picket line to speak directly with workers about their concerns.
Heat and safety complaint
Beyond paychecks, some workers say the job is making them sick. Cooks at the Panda Express on the Downtown Phoenix campus filed a formal heat-safety complaint with the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health after reporting dizziness, nausea and, in one case, a hospitalization for dehydration. The filing includes worker recordings of kitchen temperatures ranging from the mid-90s to more than 110 degrees and asks the agency for an expedited on-site inspection. The complaint was filed by UNITE HERE Local 11 and is posted in the union’s submission to state regulators, available through UNITE HERE Local 11.
On the same day he joined the picket line, Kelly sent a letter to Aramark urging the company to "cooperate fully with ongoing investigations" and to "negotiate in good faith" toward a binding contract. He wrote that providing a safe workplace and respecting employees' legally protected rights are "fundamental obligations," copied ASU leadership on the letter, and called for quick action on both the safety complaints and the stalled bargaining talks. The correspondence is publicly available as Mark Kelly's letter.
Union pressure and campus follow-up
UNITE HERE Local 11 leaders say the rolling strikes, authorized walkouts and pickets are not a one-off protest but a sustained pressure campaign fueled by worker frustration and growing campus backing. The union has urged the Arizona Board of Regents and ASU administrators to lean on Aramark for what it calls a fair contract that includes living wages, affordable health care and retirement protections. Organizers have also asked students to use alternative dining options while the dispute drags on, a strategy the union has laid out in detail on its website at UNITE HERE Local 11.
Where things stand now
Local reporting indicates workers have filed multiple unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing Aramark of intimidation and other conduct they say has bogged down negotiations. The company told reporters it "respects workers' right to protest" and said it remains in active talks with the union while working with ASU to review the heat and safety concerns that have been raised. That account was summarized by KJZZ.
Union leaders say they plan to keep the pickets, walkouts and outreach campaigns going until a deal is on paper, and both sides acknowledge that bargaining is still in progress as state regulators evaluate the heat complaint. For students and campus visitors grabbing lunch between classes, the standoff is a visible reminder that the people behind the counters are also pushing for protections and paychecks they argue are long overdue, according to reporting from The State Press.
