It’s not our place to tell private sector businesses how to operate during a crisis. We’re in a shit situation here, and if companies need to lay off workers or cut costs or implement furloughs, then so be it. That’s their prerogative.

The thing with Aramark, which employs food service workers down at The Wells Fargo Center and other Philadelphia arenas, is that they haven’t returned any emails or phone calls since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Compare that to Harris Blitzer Sports and Entertainment and Comcast-Spectacor, who not only have responded to media inquiries but agreed to pay the folks who work Sixers, Flyers, and Wings games in South Philly. The decision to help those hourly workers during a difficult time was met with wide praise from the local sports community.

For the time being, ticket takers, ushers, security guards, and part-time game night Sixers staffers will receive money while the arena is shut down, but the folks who deliver food to your seat or make the concourse cheesesteaks are shit out of luck. That resulted last week in Unite Here Local 274, the union representing those workers, sharing a letter from city council addressed to executives with the Sixers, Eagles, Flyers, and Phillies, asking them if they can “work cooperatively” with Aramark to help these people out.

I’ve tried emailing and calling Aramark over the course of 14 days now and haven’t heard anything back. The extent of their Coronavirus PR strategy appears to be a couple of website links, one that brings you to a resource page for associates with a blurb reading this way:

WELL-BEING OF OUR EMPLOYEES

We have implemented the following measures to help our valued associates through this difficult time:

For U.S. part-time and full-time field associates in active account locations with a confirmed case of COVID-19 or who are quarantined due to COVID-19 related symptoms or exposure, we will provide up to 21 additional days of sick time, once all accrued sick time has been exhausted. This additional paid time off will be at no cost to the associate, regardless of how many sick days the associate has accrued.

We will extend company-paid medical benefits coverage through June 30, 2020 for associates enrolled in Aramark benefit plans who are dealing with reduced hours or site closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

All Aramark employees will have access to Telehealth, a 24/7 resource for people who feel sick and need immediate access to advice and care from a licensed medical professional.

In addition, our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to all employees and their families at no cost. It provides helpful tools for managing anxiety and fears, including support to help you explain this complex situation to your children.

Keep in mind, Aramark employs 280,000 people and operates in 19 countries, according to them. They are a massive organization representing an industry that has been hit particularly hard during the pandemic. This is not the same as HBSE and Comcast propping up a small number of hourly employees who work at one arena in one city.

Thing is, Aramark is headquartered in Philadelphia, and as such, one could argue that they have a responsibility to this community or the workers employed in this city (EDIT – they got tax breaks when they moved to 2400 Market, which you can read about at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philadelphia Business Journal). Helping out the food service people at the Wells Fargo Center would have completed the trifecta of benevolence alongside HBSE and Comcast and created a lot of goodwill in a time when people without a lot of money are very angry at people who do have the money and resources to help out. However, that course of action is probably not feasible since you’d have to extend, for example, temporary pay at Citizens Bank Park to the workers at the 10 other ballparks Aramark services, which includes Fenway Park, Kauffman Stadium, and that shithole where the Mets play.

It’s just a different beast, and it’s apples and oranges here with individual companies and how they decide to operate. But to be clear, the food service people down at the sports complex are not employed by the Sixers. The individual building owners have the direct business relationships with Aramark as their food vendor, so even though it’s trendy to rip the billionaires right now, some people are barking up the wrong tree when it comes to executive-level decision making.

Perhaps it’s better for Aramark employees to take unemployment and try to get through the COVID-19 crisis that way. I’m not sure. If you’re one of those folks in a bind here, email me at [email protected] if you want to talk on or off the record about Aramark and what they’ve communicated to you. I have only heard two things from them, jack and shit, which seems to be par for the course.

Meantime, if you’d like to donate to Unite Here Local 274 hospitality workers, you can click this link.