INGLEWOOD, Calif. — After losing 13 different part-time jobs during the pandemic, Christopher Smith is celebrating a big win with his coworkers and fellow union members.  

“We settled a tentative agreement with SoFi at 10:30 p.m. last night,” said Christopher Smith, a luxury suite attendant at SoFi Stadium and shop steward at UNITE HERE Local 11.

He had a seat at the table when his union, UNITE HERE Local 11, fought for higher pay and benefits for nearly 2,000 workers at SoFi Stadium.

Their lengthy agreement includes raising pay above $30 per hour for dishwashers. Benefits for employees in other parts of the stadium also saw a boost.

This comes after hospitality workers like Smith barely survived the economy brought on by the pandemic.

“We barely survived; lived paycheck to paycheck,” Smith said.

The union is also pushing for more African American and residents to have good-paying jobs in the tourism industry.

Following the union’s announcement, the city of Los Angeles also commemorated Feb. 13 as Kenny Washington Day with his family present. The late NFL trailblazer broke the color barrier in 1946 as the first Black football player. He pushed for more inclusion in the sports world, which included stadium workers.

Union co-president Susan Minato said he inspires her to keep going as they plan to tackle other sports arenas in LA.  

“Sometimes we forget to honor all the people who are pioneers, so we are extremely proud that was done with celebrating this wonderful contract,” said Susan Minato, UNITE HERE Local 11 co-present.

Washington’s legacy is also inspiring Smith to save up for his family’s first home and to continue pushing for the other 30,000 union members who do not work at SoFi.

“I want to be more like that where I’m not afraid to step out on faith and try to make change for the better,” Smith said.

As people watch the Super Bowl, Christopher hopes people remember the players are not the only ones working towards a victory.