Philadelphia Worker Protest Leads to Arrest of Indian-American State Senator

June 15 :
During a demonstration against the abuse of stadium employees in Philadelphia by the hospitality firm Aramark on June 12, State Senator Nikil Saval was arrested. The Indian-American congressman was among hundreds of union members who gathered outside Aramark's 2400 Market Street offices to demand improved working conditions and healthcare benefits for employees at Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park and the Wells Fargo Centre.

An important component of what makes Philadelphia great is the labour of UNITE HERE workers, Senator Saval stated in a statement he released after his detention. No matter the season, they toil away to make sure everyone in Philadelphia has an amazing time, whether it's freezing cold or scorching hot. In retaliation, Aramark has routinely underpaid their workers, forcing them to decide between paying the bills, keeping their houses, or getting medical treatment that could save their lives.

The mistreatment of my citizens by a rich corporation that enriches itself year by abusing their labour is something I will not stand for. Their struggle is my struggle. His comment was that he would stand by them until they received the benefits and salary that are rightfully theirs.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that activists from other places, such as Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C., rallied at the protest, carrying placards that read "Aramark unfair, Equal treatment now," and an inflatable "fat cat" that smoked cigars. Saval was one of fifty individuals taken into custody for obstructing Market Street at rush hour.

Despite making over $18 billion in sales in 2023, Aramark only gave Wells Fargo Centre concessions workers a $0.25 rise, according to a statement from Pennsylvania State Democrats. Many Aramark employees would end themselves without health insurance or dependent on government assistance, as pointed out in the announcement.

Saval has a history in labour advocacy, having served from 2009 to 2013 as a union organiser for UNITE HERE. In 2020, she was elected to represent Philadelphia’s First District. For the purpose of achieving economic, gender, and racial equality, he helped establish Reclaim Philadelphia. Saval has been an outspoken opponent of mass imprisonment in his role as a state senator, and he has won praise for his work on issues like as housing, climate change, and worker justice. Saval is running for re-election this year, and he is continuing to fight for working families and social justice. His parents are Indian immigrants from Bangalore.